Wolf and Her Boy
by dragonshensi
Summary: A different take on how Lawrence first meets Holo. Lawrence is a thirteen year old boy and Holo is a girl who has wolf tail and ears and is called a demon child by the church.
1. Chapter 1: Family Secret

Wolf and Her Boy

Chapter 1: Family Secret

Craft Lawrence silently crept through the yard. The night was cold and quiet, and yet Lawrence was still sweating. He had heard the rumors. The rumors that the family living here was harboring some kind of demon child.

Lawrence had made a bet to some other local kids that he could sneak inside the house and find out if the rumors were true. If he won the bet, he would gain two lumione. It might not be much, but every peice of coin counted. He wanted to travel the world, but in order to do so, it required money.

Lawrence was only thirteen, with shaggy brown hair. Growing up in an abusive household in Lamtrea, Lawrence recently ran away to the small town of Pazzio. There, he scraped by stealing what he could and doing odd jobs here and there. It was only temporary, until he could somehow get his dream job off the ground. He desparately wanted to become a merchant, but no one here wanted to train him. So he would have to save up enough money to travel to another town, to see if another merchant would take him as an apprentice. The money promised to him by the other kids would be a good start.

Focusing on the task at hand, he silently made his way across the lawn to the house. There was no light coming from inside, so either the owners were asleep or gone out. He prayed that they were not home, it would make his not-so-legal mission easier.

He thought about entering through the front door,but Lawrence decided against it. Instead he went around the house and tested the windows. Finally, he found one that was unlocked. He slowly opened the window enough where he could climb in. Lawrence lifted himself up on the windowsill and crept into the dark house.

It was pitch black inside the house, and disturbingly quiet. His eyes soon adjusted to the darkness around him, and he noticed he was in the kitchen. If the family here had a demon child, they would either have it crammed in the basement or the attic. Lawrence made his way through the house, trying to find one of the two.

He wasn't sure if demon children were truly even demon. The Church long ago had said any kids born with unsual qualities were suppose to be possessed by the devil. They demanded that if any families had these so-called demons, they were to turn them over to the church. Most parents didn't really have the heart to turn over their own flesh anf blood to be burned at the stake. So instead they would hide their children.

Lawrence himself had never seen a demon child, and he wasn't really sure he wanted to. For all he knew, this demon child could tear him limb from limb. Even though he was scared out of his wits, he still pressed forward. Finding no basement in the house, he ascended the stairs. As he neared the top he could faint sounds, which sounded like crying. He could see a glimmer of light coming out from under a nearby door.

Lawrence considered just turning around and running out the front door, he could find another way to get money. For all he knew, the owners of the house could be in there. However, his curiosity was getting the better of him, and strangely he tip-toed towards the door. As he neared the door the sounds got louder, and Lawrence could tell that whatever was inside was definitely crying.

He stood in front of the wooden, shaking all over from the terror of the situation he was in. He knew he shouldn't be here, and probably if he had not heard the crying he would have already turned tail and ran. Now though, he wanted to make sure whatever was on the other side of the door was ok. He was too soft-hearted to leave.

With a huge gulp of air, he turned the handle of the doorknob and pushed the door open. As the door creaked open the crying instantly stopped. Upon seeing what was inside, Lawrence's jaw dropped, not in terror but in wonder. Before him was the most beautiful girl he ever seen.

The girl was around his own age, maybe two or three years younger. She had long brown hair and red iris eyes. Her skin was pale and she had a skinny form. Lawrence would not have thought her to be possessed if not for the ears on top of her head and the tail protruding from behind her. The ears and tail looked like that of a wolf. Even if she was a demon child, she was a beautiful one.

"Who are you?" the girl asked, with a mix of fear and wonder. He guessed that she had not seen another person her age all her life.

"I'm-I'm Lawrence." he replied, "What is your name?"

"I'm Holo." the girl said.


	2. Chapter 2: The Journey Begins

Wolf and Her Boy

Chapter 2: The Journey Begins

*Please note that in this chapter it gets very descriptive about Holo in the nude*

Lawrence stared at the girl for what seemed like hours. She was so beautiful that even her wolf tail and ears didn't bother him. In fact, he liked them. The girl named Holo shifted uncomfortably and cast her eyes downward. Her ears dropped onto her head sadly and only then did Lawrence realize his mistake. She must have thought he was staring at her because she was ugly or something like that.

"You must think I am some kind of demon or monster right?" Holo whipered so low he almost didn't hear it.

"Wha-What!"Lawrence asked incredulous, "I would never think of something like that."

"Then why were you staring at me?" the girl questioned, her face lighting up after learning he didn't think of her as some monster.

"Well-uhm..."Lawrence replied, rubbing the back of his neck," It's because I think you're...pretty."

For a moment Holo just wore a shocked expression on her face. Suddenly her face changed to that of a playful smile. She flashed Lawrence the most charming yet scary smile he had ever seen. Holo had wolf-like fangs that sent shivers down his spine.

"I bet you say that to all the wolf girls you see." Holo said which made Lawrence laugh nervously.

Lawrence was a bit taken aback by the girl's sudden change in mood. She went from a scared little girl to a flirtatious vixen. Suddenly Holo rose up from her bed and stood before him. He almost fell to the floor in shock.

"You're-You're...NAKED!" Lawrence yelled, his face blushing.

"Oh...right. I am" Holo shrugged, but made no move to cover herself, "It gets hot in here so clothes are quite bothersome.

Lawrence couldn't help but stare at her goregous nude form. His eyes slowly traced down her bare shoulders down to her chest, where her small but lovely breasts were developing. His wandering gaze went lower past her slim stomache and hips to her womanhood. It was shaved and it was the most wonderful thing Lawrence had ever seen. He was shaken out of his staring when Holo started moving towards him.

"Hey mister," Holo smiled, not in the least offended by his gaze, "My eyes are up here."

Lawrence blushed and turned his head away in shame. Holo laughed slightly at his embarassment. To futher his shame Lawrence realized that there was a tent in his pants. He yelped in surprise and quickly tried to hide it.

"Too late,"Holo sneered, "I already saw your little buddy."

Before Lawrence could come up with a good excuse they both heard the front door open downstairs. Holo's expression once again changed to that of a scared little girl. Lawrence couldn't see his own face, but he figured he looked just a terrfied as she was.

"My parents are home!" She whispered.

"I must go." Lawrence replied, slowly starting to back out of the room.

"No don't leave!" Holo yelled, but as quietly as she could, "Hide in here for now."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him into a small closet nearby. Holo put her finger to her lips to make sure he stayed silent. She quickly closed the door and through some holes in the door Lawrence saw she went back to her bed. No sooner had she gotten her naked form under the covers did he hear heavy footsteps run up the stairs towards them. The door to her room burst open and a man came into Holo's room.

He was tall and heavy. The man had a gut so large you could tell he was a drinker. He had a shaggy beard with huge cheeks under them. Lawrence guessed that this man was Holo's father. He didn't know why, but Lawrence already hated this man with a passion.

"Who was you talking to up here Holo?" the man yelled, his tone dangerous.

"No one daddy." Holo replied, trying to move away from him in her bed as far as possible.

"Don't lie to me!" her father shouted at her and made his way to her bed. He ripped the sheets off of her expossing her nudity."What have I told you about prancing around here naked!"

"Im sorry!" Holo screamed in fear, her hands sheilding her face, as if to prepare for a hit, "It just gets so hot here."

"I think you just do it to try to seduce your own father you sick whore!" the man yelled, taking her hands away from her face, " You demons like to make Christians stray from the path with your bodies!"

That was when he struck Holo across the face with the back of his hand. She cried out in pain and clutched her face. Instantly Lawrence went into a rage like he had never felt. He searched the closet for anything he could use. He found a wooden floorboard loose and ripped it off. Lawrence gazed out of the closet doors again and saw her so-called father was about to hit her again.

"You are a spawn of satan!"He continued to shout at her, " Im starting to wonder why I never turned over a monster like you to the church!"

Lawrence finally snapped. No one should talk to their own daughter in such a way and worse, hit their child! She was not a demon, she was a beautiful girl and she deserved better. With a cry of pure anger and hatred Lawrence jumped out of the closet, holding the wooden board in his hands.

"What the-!" Holo's father exclaimed, but that was as far as he got, cause the wood collided with his face.

Despite being twice as tall as Lawrence, the man fell to the ground with one hit. That however, didn't satisfy Lawrence thirst for vengence. He continued beating the man in the with the board until blood starting covering the wood and everywhere around them. He knew that Holo's father was on the verge of death but Lawrence couldn't bring himself to stop. This man deserved what was coming to him. He was about to land the final blow when he felt the gentle hands of Holo wrap around his arm.

"Please..." Holo said quietly, "That's enough Lawrence. Stop...please."

Just like that Lawrence's anger vanished and he dropped the bloody board to the floor. He gazed in horror at what he had done. The man was on the ground in puddle of blood. He was still alive though, just barely. Lawrence was on the verge of breaking down in tears, he was shaking uncontrollaby. Just then Holo wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close. He felt her soft fur circle around his waist in a warm embrace. Once again Lawrence became calm and sunk into her embrace.

"Thank you Lawrence." Holo said into his ear, he could feel her cheek wet, either from tears of saddness or joy. Maybe a mix, "We need to get out of here."

She gently took his hand, grabbed a few clothes from her closet, and left her room. They ran down the stairs and out of the front door. Luckily, they did not encounter Holo's mom. They ran off into the darkness of the night. Both Lawrence and Holo knew that from now on, their lives were intertwined.


	3. Chapter 3: Wolves in the Woods

Chapter 3: Wolves in the Woods

Lawrence struggled in the undergrowth of the forest. Low-hanging branches and other foilage constantly hit him and blocked his path, causing him to push them aside roughly or just go around them altogether. He stole a glance at Holo ahead, who navigated through the woods with relative ease. She dodged trees and jump over bushes with grace, as if she had lived here for years. She was like one of the animals that resided in these woods, or better yet, like a wolf.

It annoyed Lawrence a bit. He was tired and dripping with sweat at the hassle of trekking through the forest, while Holo was acting like she was having the time of her life. He couldn't blame her really. She had been holed up in that attic her whole life. It was only natural that she was having the time of her life outside of that house, even if it was in a dark scary forest.

"Hurry up Lawrence!" Holo called back, "What's taking you so long?"

"Sorry I'm not part wolf Holo!" Lawrence snapped, "It's kinda hard for me to get past all the foilage."

"Quit whining and come on." Holo replied and bounded further ahead, "By the way, you have not told me where we are going."

"To Ruvinheign."Lawrence answered as he swatted away an annoying insect from his face.

"I know of that place."Holo said, a hint of worry in her tone," My parents journeyed there all the time for church services."

"Yeah, and that worries you?"Lawrence asked, noticing the nervousness in her voice.

"Of course it does you buffon." Holo snapped," The church finds me I'll be burned at the stake cause they will think I'm some kind of demon."

"Well then you can just stay in the woods by yourself then. I'll be better off than having you insult me!" Lawrence yelled, making Holo stop in her tracks ahead of him. He passed her without even a second glance.

Suddenly he felt a hand grab ahold of his arm. The warm touch made him pause and just like that his anger was gone. Lawrence instantly felt bad for yelling at Holo.

"I'm sorry Lawrence."Holo choked, he turned to see she was almost near tears,"Please don't leave me. You're all that I have now. I'm just scared that the church will find me..."

Lawrence pulled her into him, hugging her tightly. Her body stiffened, due to shock. He thought for a second she would push him away, but instead she put her own arms behind him and squeezed him tightly. For awhile no one spoke, they both just enjoyed the embrace.

Finally, Lawrence borke the silence,"Holo I'll never leave you. I'm sorry I yelled at 's just I heard of a merchant in Ruvinheign who might take me in as an apprentice."

"Why do you want to be a merchant?" Hollo said,stepping away from him and ending the hug.

"It's kinda my dream. You can travel the lands and meet alot of people." Lawrence replied,"Besides earning money will help us out."

"Ok...I'll go with you to the city." Holo said, fear still in her voice.

"Holo I promise I will protect you. I won't let the church or anyone else hurt you."Lawrence said.

"Why are you sticking with me? Why do you want to protect me?"Holo asked.

"Because...I don't want to be alone anymore either."Lawrence whispered, his eyes downcast.

Just then a series of howls rang out through the woods. Lawrence jumped and Holo's ears twitched. She suddenly cast her eyes around them.

"What's going on?" Lawrence asked.

"Looks like we are in a wolf pack's territory, and they don't like it."Holo said.

"You can understand them!"Lawrence said, shocked.

"Half-wolf remember." Holo replied with a smile, despite the fact that they could be in danger, "We need to go...NOW!"

With that,she grabbed his hand and lead him through the woods. They ran as fast as they could. The howls and cries of the wolves were getting closer. The two jumped over logs and zigzagged through the trees trying to lose their pursuers, but they both could tell they were getting closer.

They entered a clearing, where no trees grew. There was just grass. Lawrence automatically didn't like it. They were exposed. Suddenly wolves bursted into the clearing from all sides. Looks like the wolf pack knew that too. They surrounded the two until both Holo and Lawrence were back-to-back, with wolves on all sides of them.

"Holo,"Lawrence stuttered,"I'll try to hold them off while you try to escape."

"No Lawrence." Holo replied,"You're suppose to protect me in the city, but out here I'll protect you."

Holo then stepped away from Lawrence and towards the nearest wolf. The wolf snarled and Holo snarled right back. From the expression on the wolf's face he was surprised at this. Holo and the wolf suddenly starting talking to each other, although Lawrence could not understand a word. Their conversation was in snarls, growls, and other animalistic noises.

After awhile the wolves backed off and the pack went to the edge of the clearing. They then just sat around, looking at them, as if they were waiting.

"Holo what's going on?"Lawrence asked.

"I talked to that wolf, he was the alpha-male of the pack."Holo answered, " I told him we were just passing through and needed to reach the city. He said he would lead us to the edge of the forest near the place."

"You sure they won't eat us?"Lawrence said, casting glances at the pack.

"Nah,"Holo replied, grinning,"I'm too charming to eat and you're too skinny. It wouldn't be worth the trouble to eat you."

Holo then busted out in laughter and Lawrence nervously laughed with her. She took his hand in hers once more and lead her to the awaiting wolf pack. With a nod to the alpha male the wolves set off, with Holo and Lawrence following behind.


	4. Chapter 4:The Shepardess

Chapter 4:The Shepardess

The wolves had lead them to the edge of the forest. The city of Ruvinheign loomed in the distance, past small feilds where farmers grew crops or let their animals graze. The city was looked bigger than Lawrence could have ever imagined, granted he had never been to a city of any kind. He mostly visited small villages and communities. Surrounding the city was a huge stone wall, with soldiers patrolling along on top of the wall. He noticed that the only way to get into the city was a checkpoint where two heavily armed soldiers inspected every person going in and out of the city.

"Isn't this all a bit much for just a city?" Holo asked as she came up beside him. She had just gotten back from thanking the wolves before they departed back into the darkness of the woods.

"I have no idea. My guess is to make sure no one smuggles in anything illegal into the city."Lawrence guess,"Probably because Ruvinheign is run by the Church."

"Well how in the world can we get in? I highly doubt I can walk up to those apes and ask nicely to let me pass."Holo said, mentioning her wolf ears and tail.

That is the major problem. Holo had only brought enough clothes to cover her breasts and neather regions. Lawrence could feel his face getting red just by looking at her. He could see her nipples poking out of her shirt, and his eyes continued downward. Her slim mid-section was exposed, as well as her beautiful legs.

"Hey horn-dog."Holo yelled,which caused Lawrence to snap out of it,"My eyes are up here. We need to focus, we have to find a way to get into the city without getting caught."

"Uhm...right. Sorry."Lawrence replied, rubbing the back of his neck in embarassment.

Lawrence shyly looked away from Holo and gazed at his surroundings. He noticed in the distance that there was a shepard in a nearby feild. He had a flock of sheep around him and a small dog barking at the herd, leading them this way and that. He couldn't see the shepard's face, due to he had a hood covering his head.

"Maybe we can ask that shepard for help."Lawrence suggested and made his way towards the man, with Holo following behind.

"Why would he help us? Probably as soon as he sees me he'll turn me into the church."Holo replied.

"Well shepards are well known for their hospitality and kind nature."Lawrence answered,"So I'm hoping he'll help us get into the city somehow."

"And what if he doesn't?"Holo asked, grabbing his hand so she could keep up with him better.

"We run like mad and try to find another way."Lawrence said, as he neared the hooded shepard he called out to him,"Ho there! May we have a word with you? We need some help."

The shepard jumped at the sound of their voices, not even realizing they were behind him. He turned slowly around, a staff in his hand. The staff had a small bell attached to him, and with two rings the dog nearby quickly ran to his master's side. The shepard then pull his hood back, revealing his face. It caused Lawrence's jaw to drop at the sight and Holo to look at him in annoyance.

Before them did not stand a shepard, but a shepardess. She looked to be around Lawrence and Holo's age, with short blonde hair and blue eyes. Her skin was somewhat pale and Lawrence realized that she was shorter than he was. He was momentarily stunned, both by the fact that this shepard was actually a girl(which was very rare, he hadn't heard of many women taking on the role of the shepard.) and because she was also beautiful.

"Oh uhm hello there."The shepardess replied in a small voice. She seemed shy, which was understandable because most shepards didn't socialize alot with others, due to them spending their whole lives tending to their herds.

"Hello."Lawrence greeted,"My friend and I need your help."

The shepardess' eyes shifted from Lawrence to Holo. Upon noticing Holo's wolf ears and tail she gasped in shock. She took a few steps back, but otherwise didn't do anything. Quite frankly Lawrence was surprised that she wasn't running away screaming.

"Is that part of a costume or something?" she asked, pointing to the obvious ears and tail.

"Uhm yeah, it is."Lawrence answered,"We just got back from a festival in a nearby village."

"Oh...ok." the shepardess said, relaxing a bit, "Well what can I help you with?"

Lawrence made this up as he going along,"Well you see we wish to enter the city but obviously we can't due to my companion's costume. We would both be arrested due to them thinking she is some sort of demon."

"Well can't she just take off the ears and tail?"she asked.

"Well you see I glued them to my body,"Holo interjected," They kept falling off during the festival. Now it seems I can't remove them."

"Oh I see."the girl replied, "Well what can I do to help you?"

"We were hoping if we could borrow some clothes. That way we can cover up the ears and tail and be able to get into Ruvinheign."Lawrence said.

"I do have a spare outfit at my camp."the shepardess answered,"but you won't be able to get into the city anyway. The guards stop letting people into the city at this time. You'll have to wait till tomorrow."

"Oh,"Lawrence said glumly,"That's unforunate. We don't have anywhere to spend the night."

"If you'd like you two can stay with me. It's not everyday people talk to me so I would enjoy the company."the girl replied, a blush appearing on her face, as she looked at him. He could hear Holo growling beside him, but he ignored her.

"That would be wonderful."Lawrence smiled,"We don't want to impose."

"Not at all. We can go ahead and go to the camp now. It's fixing to get dark anyway." the girl answered, and with three rings from her bell on her staff, the dog rushed off to round up the sheep,"Follow me."

The shepardess lead them away from the feilds and back to the edge of the forest. Lawrence saw that there was a campsite near the tress. He noticed a small tent, with a firepit close by. He also saw a little mat near the pit, probably where the shepardess actually slept, so she could keep an eye on the herd. She soon busied herself by starting the fire and making a small meal for her and her guests. Lawrence decided to help out by collecting nearby sticks and leaves for the fire, while Holo sulked sitting at the base of a tree.

He had no idea was up with Holo. He found it weird that her mood changed so quickly, and for no apparant reason. She was staring off in the opposite direction of him, with an angry look on her face and with her arms crossed. She almost looked like a little girl whose daddy wouldn't let her have what she wants. Lawrence almost found it comical, but he didn't dare tell her that. He would ask her later what was the matter, after he helped the girl. It was the least he could do in return for her hospitalilty. He soon returned to the shepardess' side with an armful of firewood.

"Thank you very much."the girl said, flashing him a beautiful smile.

"It was the least I can for you helping us."Lawrence replied, giving her a smile back,"My name is Lawrence by the way, and my companion over there is Holo."

At the mention of her name Holo simply did a half wave towards them, which annoyed Lawrence a bit. She should be more grateful and kind to their host. The shepardess didn't seem to mind though, she just smiled and waved back to her.

"It's nice to meet you two."she grinned,"My name is Nora."


	5. Chapter 5:Jealousy and Apples

Chapter 5:Jealousy and Apples

Holo couldn't help but feel annoyed at Lawrence. From the moment the two of them met Nora he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She instantly hated the girl for it, although deep down she knew Nora wasn't at fault. Holo also knew she should be more kind and grateful to the girl, since she had treated them with such kindness. However she felt like sulking more than being nice.

She wasn't sure why she was mad at Lawrence. No, that wasn't the right word for it, besides she was not mad at him exactly. Jealous. That was the word. She was jealous that Nora was getting all of Lawrence's attention at the moment. Although, why did she even care about having Lawrence's attention?

"Holo is something wrong?"startled, Holo looked up to see Lawrence standing in front of her.

"Why would you say that?"Holo asked, casting her eyes down.

"Because you're pouting Holo."Lawrence answered, trying to supress a smile.

"I am not!"Holo huffed, turning away from him and crossing her arms over her chest.

She heard Lawrence chuckle behind her but she didn't give him the satisfaction of looking. Ok, so now she was mad at Lawrence. Was he dense or can he clearly not see that she was jealous of that girl, or more importantly, how he was hanging all over her.

Suddenly a wonderful scent entered her nostrils. It was coming from behind her and the smell was so mouth-watering that she couldn't resist turning around. Lawrence was smiling at her, and in his arms was a couple of red apples.

"Apples!"Holo screamed, although trying her best to resist the urge to jump him for them. She had a little self-control after all.

"I thought you would be hungry so I got these for you."Lawrence said, handing her the apples.

"You didn't want to give them to Nora instead?"Holo asked, getting red in the face.

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy Holo?"Lawrence sneered. Finally the yuts got it.

Without saying a word Holo bit down angerily on a apple, munching loudly. Lawrence sighed and sat down beside her. She tried to ignore him but Holo couldn't help but cast a glance at the infuritating boy every now and then. He didn't say a word, just stared back at her. Finally, after what seemed like an hour of silence, Lawrence spoke up.

"You know Holo you have nothing to fear from Nora. Or any girl for that matter."Lawrence stated.

That caused Holo to stop eating and turn to Lawrence,"What do you mean?"

"Holo you're the most important person in my life."Lawrence answered,"For so long I've been alone. It was almost unbearable. That is until I met you."

"You're just trying to suck up to me."Holo said, although she flashed him a smile to tell him that she was only kidding.

Lawrence laughed,"Maybe or maybe not, but I made a promise to stay by your side and protect you. I'll never leave you Holo."

Holo suddenly dropped the apples that she had been ravenously eating and pounced on Lawrence, much to his surprise. He fell backward, with Holo on top on him. Noticing their position, Lawrence blushed furiously. Holo gave him a sly grin, showing her fangs. She moved her hips a bit over hs crotch, which caused Lawrence to gulp. Holo sneered and brought her face to his ear.

"Well thats good to hear, and don't you worry. I won't leave you either."Holo purred, and with that she bounced off of him and resumed eating the rest of the apples.

"Does this mean you'll be a little nicer to our host Nora now?"Lawrence asked, breathing heavily from the contact.

"I suppose."was Holo's reply between mouthfuls of apple,"Where is the shepardess by the way?"

"She's checking on her herd before we all turn in for the night. Which reminds me we need to get ready for bed."Lawrence answered, rising up and walking back to the campsite. Holo followed behind him, devouring the last apple.

They noticed that Nora was already back at the campsite, tending to the fire. Her faithful dog was beside her, snoozing by the warm flames. Upon seeing them, she smiled kindly at them.

"I suppose it's time we all turn in for the night."Nora said, making her way to the only tent in the campsite,"Forgive me for not sharing the tent, but it is rather small. I have prepared for you two blankets near the fire to sleep. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all."Lawrence said,"We can't thank you enough for all that you have done for us."

Nora nodded to them and smiled sweetly to the pair one last time before entering the tent. Lawrence dropped down on the nearest blanket and got under the covers. He was very tired and soon his eyes started to close.

Suddenly his covers were rustling as something moved underneath it. He opened his eyes quickly as he felt a warm body cuddled up near his. He turned to see Holo at his side, hugging him tightly.

"Holo what on earth are you doing? Nora had made you your own place to sleep."Lawrence asked.

"Silence fool."Holo replied, snuggling up on his chest,"It gets cold at night so I thought it best to sleep with you. So I don't freeze."

"Yeah yeah."Lawrence said, rolling his eyes, although there was a smile across hs face. He hugged her closer to him and soon the two fell asleep underneath the stars.


	6. Chapter 6:Bathe in the River

Chapter 6: Bathe in the River

The gang awoke early in the morning, before the gates were opened or before the night guards switched shifts with the day guards. They quickly worked on preparing their outfits and looking presentable, so they could enter the city without anyone noticing Holo. Lawrence guessed a girl with a wolf tail and ears wouldn't go to well with a city runned by the Church.

As Lawrence washed his clothes in a nearby stream, his mind began to wander. Nora seemed like such a nice and trusting girl, and he hated that he was lying to her. He had told the shepardess that Holo's appearance was a costume that she could not remove, which was a big fat lie. Then again, Nora worked for the church, so he assumed that she wouldn't take the truth well. In fact, she would probably run away screaming to the guards in the city, then both Holo and Lawrence would be hunted down and burned at the stake. Perhaps it would be better if the girl did not know the truth.

Lawrence was soon shaken from his thoughts by the sound of splashing water and a voice. It came from upstream, so he quietly crawled towards the sounds. Not far upstream he saw Holo, naked. She had her back to him and was bathing in the river. She breathed a sigh of relief, and cupping water in her hands, poured it over herself. Her body glistened in the river, like she had tiny diamonds all over her body.

Lawrence gulped and could feel his body grow hot. He knew he shouldn't be spying on her like this, like some sort of pervert, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Finally Holo turned to where Lawrence was hiding.

"You know if you're just gonna stand there and drool over me you might as well come here and join me Lawrence."Holo sneered.

Lawrence sighed in shame. He had been caught. He walked out into the open and waited for Holo to scold him, however she just ignored him and continued bathing. Lawrence just stood there like a moron, unsure what to do.

"Unless you plan on getting into the water with your clothes on I suggest you strip and get your butt in here already."Holo said, showing him a fanged smile.

Slowly, feeling a little self-conscious, Lawrence stripped out of his clothes. He could feel his face grow red as he finally shed the last of his clothing. He watched from any reaction from Holo, but she just simply smiled then turned away.

"You know it's nice to see you naked for a change."Holo said, then laughed.

Lawrence felt his cheeks get even hotter. He ignored his embarassment and slowly entered the creek. He hissed at how cold it was and shivered slightly. He made his way to where Holo was and decided to clean himself as well. He had gotten very filthy from the recent days in the woods. As he started cleaning the grime and muck from his body his eyes started wandering down Holo's body once more. He could feel himself getting an erection, despite the fact that the water was freezing. He tried to hide it but Holo had already noticed out of the corner of her eye.

"Hey,"Holo said meekly, almost in a whisper,"You can touch me if that is what you wish."

"What!"Lawrence yelled, not sure if she was teasing him or not.

"I know it's what you want."Holo replied, turning around to face him," and you have my permission to do so."

He could feel himself being overcome with lust. His eyes trailed down her form until they rested on her chest. Hestiantly, Lawrence moved his hand towards one of her tits. He noticed that Holo was biting her bottom lip in anticipation. He was just about to touch her nipple when a shout rang out.

"Hey where are you guys!"a voice called out to them, it was Nora.

They both quickly snapped out of their lustful states and rushed to the bank, where their clothes were. They hurriedly dried off and got on their clothes, avoiding each other's gaze. Each of them felt embarassed at what had transpired. Also maybe a little frustrated that it was cut short.

"Do you think it'll be better for us in the city?"Holo asked, trying her best to get past the awkward air around them.

"I hope so."Lawrence answered,"All I need is for someone to take me as their apprentice. Then, after I become a merchant, we can leave the city. Although that could take some time."

"Why do you want to be a merchant?"Holo asked, for although she knew the goal was to get into the city, she was never sure as to why they had to go there in the first place.

"Because my father was a merchant."Lawrence said, his eyes downcast.

"Was?"Holo said, noticing the past-tense.

"He's dead now."Lawrence replied,"I was just a baby when he died, and my mother had to raise me on my own. Last year however a fever took my mother away from me as well. I had to survive on my own."

"Oh...I'm sorry."Holo said,for once she was unsure what to say.

"It is alright. Let us be on our way, today is the day we get into the city."Lawrence stated, and with that the conversation was over.

They made their way back to camp and for awhile no one spoke. Suddenly, Lawrence could feel Holo's hand wrap tightly around his own. He looked at her and she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Don't worry Lawrence. You're not on your own anymore."Holo said, smiling up at him.

Lawrence couldn't help but smile back, "I know."


	7. Chapter 7: Apprentice

Chapter 7:Apprentice

"I'm not so sure about this."Holo said nervously as they neared the gates,"What if they suspect something?"

"Do not worry Holo."Nora assured her, "The robe will definitely cover up your costume until you can get it removed."

Nora had given Holo a very large robe, which covered up her wolf tail and ears quite nicely. Sure it made her look a little strange, but nothing no one would take a second glance at. As they neared the gates they only hoped the guards would not search her or ask her to remove her hood.

When they finally came to the gate two guards where posted on either side of them. They wore heavy armor and looked as if they haven't bathed in weeks. They reeked of alcohol and looked as if they had a slight hangover. What bother Holo and Lawrence the most however was the long deadly swords they had on their belts.

"What business do you have here?"one of the guards asked, none too politely.

"I am Nora. A shepardess of the church. I wish to speak to the preist about my flock."Nora answered, smiling big at them and appearing as innocent as a baby.

"What about your friends here? What business have they in Ruvinheign?"the other soldier questioned.

"I am Lawrence and this is my sister, Holo. I wish to become a merchant and so I seek apprenticeship."Lawrence replied.

"Very well. Go on."The guard said and waved them dismissively through.

Holo grinded her teeth angrily once they passed through the gate. Nora had told them that it would be best if they pretended to be siblings. Reluctantly, Lawrence and Holo agreed, though neither of them liked it. Since everyone will think that they are brother and sister, what if some wench tries to flirt with her Lawrence!

Sensing her fury Lawrence turned to her,"Don't worry Holo. We wont have to pretend we're siblings all the time."

"I would prefer if we didn't period. Besides I can't help it feels kind of an insult that we came from the same mother."Holo snapped, although that wasn't the reason.

"Thank you Holo. What a nice thing to say."Lawrence replied sarcastically.

Holo mumbled,"and most of all...I won't even get to hold your hand in public."

Lawrence looked at her with surprise when she said that. She had her hood down low over her face, but he could tell anyway that she was blushing. He couldn't help but get red in the face himself. Slowly, Lawrence took Holo's hand in his and smiled at her. She was shocked for a second, looking down as if not believing it. Then she smiled right back.

"Won't people think this is strange for a brother to hold hands with his sister?"Holo teased.

"I'm just holding your hand so you won't get lost in these crowds baby sister."Lawrence replied, winking. Holo frowned but squeezed his hand tightly.

Nora was kind enough to lead them on a tour through the city. It was jam packed with people from all over the world. There were merchants, soldiers,preists, and entertainers in the streets of the city. Both Lawrence and Holo felt a little claustrophobic, both not use to seeing so much people in one place. Nora lead the pair to the merchant hall of the city, before taking her leave to head to Ruvinheign's church. They said their goodbyes to the shepardess and promised to meet up again soon.

They went inside the merchant hall to find it completely empty. Chairs were turned upside down and placed neatly on tables and all the lights were out. The place would be dark if not for the many windows. At the far end of the room was a bar, with a big man with his back turned behind the counter.

"Welcome merchants!"the man bellowed, then turned around to greet them. Upon noticing the children, his smile dropped slightly,"I'm sorry but this is no place for kids."

"I'm sorry to bother you sir."Lawrence said,"My name is Craft Lawrence and this is my sister Holo. I've come a long way to be here."

"Well since you've traveled so long you two have a seat. I'll get ya something to eat and drink."the man replied and offered them seats and a table. As they sat down he brought out from the back a tray of bread and apples(which Holo dove into) and two cups of water.

"So son why have you come here?"the man asked as he sat down beside them.

"I wish to become your apprentice and be a merchant."Lawrence answered.

"You do know that the merchant life is no walk in the park."the man said, studying Lawrence closely,"besides, what would your parents think?"

"We don't have any. They both died." Lawrence said, lying only slightly,"My father was a merchant a long time ago, and I wish to follow in his footsteps."

"Hmmm."the man replied, thinking hard,"and what about your sister here?"

"She has no place to go and wishes to stay with me and travel the region once I become a merchant."Lawrence answered.

"I don't know Lawrence."The man sighed,"Being a apprentice is hard work. Not to mention it gets tougher and tougher these days to make an honest coin. Are you sure?"

"Yes please sir."Lawrence pleaded,"We have no place else to go."

"Very well." the man answered,"Starting now you will be my apprentice. There is a guest room upstairs that you and your sister can stay in. I need someone to help me around the hall anyway."

"Oh thank you! Thank you Mr..."Lawrence said, but stopped when he realized he had not asked for the man's name.

"Jakob. My name is Jakob."the man said, and smiled at them.


	8. Chapter 8:What's Your Dream?

Chapter 8:What's Your Dream?

Both Lawrence and Holo settled into their new life with Jakob. Lawrence spent most of the days training under the hand of Jakob. He learned the many types of coin and their worth. He also started learning which regions where the best for travel and which regions to stay away from, mostly the ones with high amounts of bandits and wars. Holo, on the other hand, was put to work as a barmaid, tending to the merchants who spent their nights getting drunk there. At first she didn't like it, being lazy and all, but she grew to get use to it. After all, if Lawrence was working hard why shouldn't she?

Not to mention that Jakob was being very good to them both, almost like an adopted father of sorts. He had bought them new clothes, they each had their own rooms, and always had food in their bellies. It was the least she could do to pay him back. Although she wasn't really thankful for the seperate bedrooms.

She had been alone in her room for all her life, until Lawrence showed up in her life. She didn't want to spend more nights alone in her room. Also is the fact that Holo hadn't really spent time with Lawrence in the past few days. He was busy training and didn't have time. Although they lived in the same house, she still missed him.

As night approached and the merchants left the bar, Holo saw Lawrence come out from the back of the tavern and up the stairs to his room. Holo finished cleaning up the tables, and thats when an idea hit her. She grinned to herself and made her way upstairs to clean herself off from the day's work.

Lawrence washed his face and groaned to himself, exhausted. Jakob had made him tell the weight difference in over a dozen coins. Some with more silver or gold than in others. Then he made him decide on the quality of a bunch of merchandise. He knew becoming a merchant wouldn't be easy, but he didn't think it would be this hard.

With a sigh of relief he hopped into his bed and tucked himself under the covers. He blew out the candle near his bed and the room was immersed in darkness. Lawrence was about the fall asleep when he felt someone crawl onto his bed. He quickly opened his eyes to see someone with ears on top of their head look down on him. He smiled when he realized it was Holo.

"What are you doing in here Holo?"Lawrence asked her.

"Well since you have had time lately for me I thought this would be a good time as any to see you."Holo pouted, laying down on top of him and snuggling up against his chest.

Without even realizing what he was doing, Lawrence pulled the covers out from under her and put it over both of them. He hugged her closely to his body. That's when he realized something was not right.

"Holo are you not wearing any clothes?"Lawrence said, trying his best not to shout out.

"Well by the feel of you you're not wearing much yourself."Holo smirked as he traced her fingers down his chest and stomache.

It was true, Lawrence only had his boxers on. It was very relaxing to not have alot of clothing on while he slept. Obviously, Holo felt the same way. As she started rubbing against him nuzzling his neck Lawrence could feel himself starting to get stiff.

"You love teasing me like this don't you?"Lawrence asked, gulping.

"It's my favorite pasttime."Holo replied, and chuckled,"Besides, maybe if I did stuff like this more you would spend more time with me."

Lawrence felt a little guilty at her statement, he hugged her tightly and rubbed her back,"I'm sorry Holo. I've been so being training that I haven't had much time for you."  
"It's ok."Holo answered,"I know being a merchant is a dream of yours."

"I promise I'll spend more time with you Holo."Lawrence said.

"Well we also have bedtime together as well."Holo sneered as her tail rubbed itself over his legs.

"If every night is going to be like this I'm not sure I'll ever get any sleep."Lawrence joked.

"Is that really a bad thing?"Holo smiled a fanged smile at him.

Lawrence laughed,"I suppose not."

They were silent for awhile, just enjoying each other's presence. For some reason he could feel an air of saddness come from Holo. She had her head buried in his chest and wouldn't look up at him.

"Holo is something the matter?"Lawrence finally asked.

"...I was wondering,"Holo replied slowly,"What will happen to me once you become a merchant and go out into the world?"

"I was hoping you would come with me."Lawrence answered, although he hadn't thought of it much lately. His apprenticeship just started and becoming a traveling merchant is a long ways off,"Is that want you want?"

"Yes."Holo said to him, looking up into his eyes,"I was just wondering if you wanted me to tag along the whole time."

He couldn't help himself, Lawrence bent forward and kissed her on her forehead,"You're stuck with me for life Holo."

"Fine by me."Holo smiled, her face getting red.

Slowly they both started to fall asleep, before they were out for good Lawrence asked Holo one more thing,"Holo. What's your dream?"

For a moment she didn't reply, then she answered,"To be with you forever."


	9. Chapter 9: Only One for Me

Chapter 9:Only One for Me

Time slipped by fast. Both Holo and Lawrence settled nicely into their new life with their adopted father of sorts Jakob. Lawrence was quickly learning the trade of being a merchant and Holo was becoming one of the best barmaids around town. Her beauty and kindness to tavern patrons everywhere were famous. The place was packed from morning till night, just so the men could get a glimpse at the angel of a barmaid.

Much as Lawrence hated to admit it, he was jealous. He hated the looks all the men in the bar were giving Holo. She either didn't seem to mind or didn't even notice. However, more than likely she was teasing Lawrence cause she knew he was getting jealous. Surely though she wasn't that much of a tease.

Lawrence cast a glance towards Holo, who was serving two men their beers. She walked away from the men, swaying her hips and butt as sexy as she could. Upon noticing Lawrence gazing at her she winked at him and kept on.

"Yup. She is that much of a tease."Lawrence said to himself.

"Boy pay attention!"Jakob shouted, causing Lawrence to jerk,"I hate repeating myself and tarieffs on goods is very important."

For the past two years Lawrence and Holo had quickly became close. They always slept together every night.(almost every night however Holo slept nude and on top of him)Unforunately, nothing yet had happened between them, mainly because Lawrence didn't have much of a backbone to try. Not to mention he wasn't sure how she would react. She was a big tease but Lawrence was not sure she would back up her teasing.

Not to mention many men, around her age, came into the bar to flirt with her. It irked Lawrence to no end to see those boys made lame pick-up lines, and then hearing Holo giggle at them. When it was finally time for a break from his merchant studies Lawrence left the tavern and decided to sulk nearby. He bought himself an apple from a food cart and munched on it angerily. He was about to take another bite when the fruit was grabbed out of his hand. He looked over to see Holo smirking and eating the rest of the apple.

"I paid for that apple you know."Lawrence said bitterly.

"A mighty fine apple it was."Holo smiled, licking her lips,"You have excellent taste."

"Hmph."Lawrence simply replied, turning his back to her.

"Why so grumpy _big brother_?"Holo asked, putting emphasis on the big brother part. Both her and Lawrence weren't happy with the story they were living. The lie that they were siblings made it hard to do anything in public.

"You know damn well what's the matter Holo."Lawrence snarled, "You think I like all those guys flirting with you and oggling your body?Plus the fact that you tease me doesn't help matters."

That was when Lawrence felt her hands and arms wrap gently around his waist. The sudden contact caused him to stiffen, especially when he felt her head lay on his back. For what seemed like minutes they stayed like that in silence. Finally Holo spoke.

"I'm sorry Lawrence..."Holo said meekly,"It just felt so good to know you were watching me and becoming jealous over the fact that other men were interested in me. I suppose I have been taking it too far recently."

Lawrence sighed, his anger quickly subsided and he couldn't help but to smile,"It's alright Holo."

"I want you to know something though Lawrence."Holo said as she brought her mouth up close to his ear,"You are the only one for me. Forever and always."

At that moment it took Lawrence all the willpower he had not to turn around and kiss her right then and there. If he did indeed kiss Holo it would draw plenty of stares, considering most of the town knew them as brother and sister. He silently kicked himself for the story he gave two years ago. This was definitely not the first time he has scolded himself for this mistake.

"I really hate that bogus story you created two years ago. It certainly hasn't made things easy for us."Holo whispered into his ear, and in the most sexy voice she could muster added,"Especially since I'm dying to be kissed right now."

At that instant Lawrence snapped. He quickly shot up and grabbed Holo by the hand and pulled her up. He ran with her to the nearest alley and pulled her into the shadow of the narrow street. Before Holo knew what was happening she felt Lawrence's lips crush against hers. She was shocked that Lawrence was being so bold for once, but she liked this side of him.

Holo wrapped her arms around Lawrence's neck and deepened the kiss. She felt Lawrence's tongue probbing her lips, begging for entry. She opened her lips and gave Lawrence plenty of access as he shoved his tongue into her mouth. Both Lawrence and Holo's tongue swirled around one another, in a passionate dance. Neither Lawrence or Holo wanted this moment to end, however they were in desperate need of air. Sadly, they broke the kiss and gasped heavily for air.

"Wow Lawrence."Holo said between intakes of air,"Didn't know you had it in you."

"You have no idea what you do to me do you?"Lawrence replied, grinning widely.

"Oh I think I have an idea."Holo sneered, running her hands through his hair, "It's definitely going to make tonight more interesting."

They already knew they had wasted too much time out here. Lawrence needed to get back to Jakob and Holo had alcohol to serve to some very thirsty patrons. They rushed back to the entrance of the tavern, however before they entered Lawrence grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Wait a sec Holo. I was wondering..."Lawrence said, gulping nervously,"if maybe...if you weren't busy..."

"So it seems as if you lost your backbone already." Holo teased,"What happened to the Lawrence who shoved his tongue so daringly down my throat?"

"Holo!"Lawrence hissed at her and looked around,"Keep it down someone may hear you. We're suppose to be siblings remember."

"Clearly,"Holo smirked,"We're just **very **close siblings."

"Look I was just wondering if perhaps you...would like to go on a date with me?"Lawrence asked.

Holo smiled at him and replied,"That sounds like a wonderful idea."


	10. Chapter 10:First Date

Chapter 10: First Date

Lawrence lead Holo past the gates and outside of the city. In one hand he held a basket,filled with bread,apples,sandwhiches, other goodies, and in the other hand he held Holo's. He decided that it would be best to leave the city if the two were to truly enjoy their date. He packed a picnic for them and lead his date to the outskirts of Ruvinheign and on the borders of the forest.

It seems Lawrence picked the right location. There weren't many people outside of the city, and besides, most avoided the forest and gave the border of it a wide berth. So that was a bit of luck for the two fake siblings to have some much needed alone time. Lawrence carefully set down the basket and rested at the foot of a tree. Holo laid down beside him, cuddling close to his side.

"This is quite nice Lawrence."Holo said, holding Lawrence's arm closely,"Just you and me. It gets a little crowded being in the city all the time."

"Indeed it does."Lawrence replied,"Not to mention with everyone watching all the time I couldn't do this."

Before Holo could ask what Lawrence leaned over and slowly captured her lips with his. Her eyes widen in shock and Lawrence himself was surprised at his actions. It seems lately that he was gaining alot more courage, at least when kissing Holo was involved. Holo deepened the kiss, slipping her tongue past his lips and into his mouth. Their tongues interwined with one another, almost as if they were dancing. They finally broke apart when they desparately needed air.

"Well Lawrence, it seems we are getting bolder as of late."Holo said between deep breaths, grinning.

"Uhm...yeah."Lawrence replied, blushing slightly.

Holo chuckled,"Well before you decide to take it further with that newfound courage of yours, perhaps you can get a girl something to eat?"

Lawrence nodded sheepishly and opened the basket. He passed out a couple of items of food and the both of them ate in silence. The day was bright and warm, and the shade the outskirt of the forest provided was cool and shielded them from the bright rays of the sun. Finally, after a few minutes of eating in silence, Holo spoke.

"Lawrence, how much longer are we going to have to put up with this silly brother and sister story?"Holo asked as she bit into an apple.

"Hopefully, not much longer."Lawrence answered as he finished a sandwhich,"I know it's difficult Holo, but try to deal with it for the meantime."

"Fine..."Holo said, crossing her arms and huffing. Lawrence couldn't help but smirk a bit at the sight.

"Think of it like this."Lawrence stated,"When I become a full fledge merchant, you and I will travel the world together. We can drop the sibling act and instead become a traveling couple. Does that not sound better?"

"I suppose it does."Holo replied, laying her head down in Lawrence's lap.

"What-What are you doing Holo?"Lawrence yelled, a little shocked her head was so close to his crotch.

"This is what couple's do right?"Holo countered,"Use each other as pillows and whatnot."

"Im sure they don't say it or think of it like that."Lawrence muttered, a little steamed now that Holo was basically using him again.

"Don't pout on our first date Lawrence."Holo said,"You want to make a good impression do you not? Well whining can be a big turn off for a girl you know?"

"Alright alright."Lawrence said, cracking a smile as he stroked Holo's head. Due to no people around, Holo decided to let down her hood, exposing her wolf ears. Lawrence couldn't help but rub and stroke them.

"...I want more days like these."Holo said, closing her eyes as Lawrence petted her head, "No work, and no merchant training. Just me and you...together."

Lawrence grinned as he bent down and kissed the top of her head. Holo opened one eye at the contact and smiled. She nuzzled his leg and closed her eyes once more.

"Just be a little patient Holo."Lawrence answered,"Soon it will be just you and I. We wont have to hide our love...Just you wait."


	11. Chapter 11: Good Times Don't Last

Chapter 11: Good Times Don't Last

A month had passed since Lawrence and Holo's first date. The two hadn't really been able to hang out since then, except for their time sleeping in the same bed at night. Lawrence had been studying hard, eager to get his training over with as soon as possible. Holo, on the other hand, had to deal with running the entire tavern by herself. Business had been growing, mainly because of her and her beauty, and she had to deal with it basically on her own. However, she bore the constant flirting and the sometimes drunken touches. She did for Lawrence, cause she knew that one day soon they would be able to leave this place and go out on their own. They would no longer have to hide behind the stupid brother/sister story, and be a couple in public. Holo smiled to herself at the idea of openly expressing their love to one another.

As she was serving a table of rowdy customers, she felt as if someone was watching her. Her wolf ears twitched nervously under her hood and she casually glanced around the room. Sure some of the men there were gazing at her, but they either wanted more booze or she just didn't a bad vibe from them. However as she looked around the entire tavern she noticed there was a man sitting in the corner.

Barely any light from the lamps and candles around the tavern shone around the man. He wore a brown tattered hood over his head, which made it where she could barely see his face. What part of her face that she could see however was covered in bandages, by the looks of it his entire face was covered in white bandages, except for his piercing eyes, which were staring hard at her. She shifted uncomfortably and turned her back on the man. She tried to ignore him, but she could still feel his gaze on her. She wasn't sure, but Holo felt like something was familiar about the strange man. She felt like maybe she had seen or met him somewhere before, even though she wouldn't be able to tell since his face was covered up, and there was no way that Holo was going to go up and talk to the creepy guy.

So throughout the rest of her shift she tried her best to ignore the mysterious man, which actually wasn't too hard considering the place was as busy as ever. Any time though she would cast a glance at the guy sure enough he was watching her every move. The bandaged man was freaking her so much that she was considering getting Jakob so that he would throw this man out. He has had to do that a couple of times so he would more than likely not care kicking this man's ass out the door.

However, just as she was about to call Jakob, who was in the back of the building with Lawrence, the man suddenly got up. He placed a single piece of paper on the table before walking towards the door. He opened it and left the tavern, without so much as casting a second glance at Holo.

He walked over to the table the man had been sitting at and peered at the paper. Her eyes grew wide as she read what was on it. She quickly grabbed the sheet of paper and read it again, making sure she had read it right. In pure shock, Holo sank into the nearest chair, her hands shaking violently. The note read:

Hello again Holo. Im sorry if I made you nervous by watching you all night, just had to make sure it was you. I'll be seeing you around VERY SOON.

-With love,

Daddy


	12. Chapter 12: A Father's Wrath

Chapter 12: A Father's Wrath

Holo came running into the back of tavern, slamming the door open and in a mass panic. It took both Lawrence and Jakob by complete surprise. Never before had they seen their calm and sarcastic Holo in hysterics.

"Holo what on earth is the matter?!"Lawrence shouted as Holo almost tackled into him, hugging his chest tightly.

"He's here Lawrence! He's here! He found us!" Holo screamed, almost on the verge of tears.

She didn't even have to say it, because Lawrence already knew who she was talking about. They had spent countless nights in the past talking about him and what if he ever found them. After awhile however, they had convinced themselves they were safe, that he could never find them. It seems though that they couldn't have been more wrong.

"What in God's name is going on here?"Jakob barked loudly, trying to take control of the situation and calm Holo's nerves. Lawrence himself, was on the verge of loosing it as well, and Jakob could probably tell, "Who has found you two?"

"Well uhm..."Lawrence said, cutting himself off as his eyes met with Holo's.

Jakob had taken them in and gave them a roof over their heads for a couple of years now. He had fed them, clothed them, and was more of a father to them than either could have ever hoped for. However, as much as they loved the man they could never bring themselves to tell Jakob the truth. They were living in a city controlled by the church after all, and from their time with Jakob he clearly wasn't a religious man(alot of merchants weren't) but they still didn't know how he would react if he found out the girl that had been living with him, a girl he had raised like his own, had a wolf tail and ears. What if he freaked out and turned them into church? Lawrence could pratically smell the smoke and feel the fire under his feet as they were both burned at the stake for being heretics and demons.

Holo finally managed to calm down, taking a deep breath and steadying her nerves, although she was still shaking a bit. Her eyes met Lawrence's once again, and nodded to him. Lawrence nodded back. They could no longer lie to this man...their father...any longer. Their past had finally caught up with them, and now Jakob was invovled in this mess as well, whether he knew it or not. Jakob stare at them, his arms crossed and his eyes demanding an explanation. They had seen that look many a time when they were in trouble, and even if they tried to lie he would easily see through it. So both Lawrence and Holo told him everything.

They started at the very beginning, telling him of their escape from Holo's strict and religious father, revealing to him that they were not siblings and it was just a cover. As they told him in great detail of their story Jakob listened silently, occasionally nodding to himself, as if he always had an inkling that they never did tell him the full story. As they finished their tale the moment came where they had to reveal the big secret.

Jakob sat silently, waiting to see if what they said were true, that Holo was a half-wolf as they claimed. Lawrence gazed at Holo as she had one hand on her hands on her hood. Her hand was shaking violently and she looked at both Lawrence and Jakob, her eyes full of fear. Lawrence realized that he wasn't the only one anymore that was close to Holo's heart. He knew that Holo was afraid that Jakob would reject her now, and he was sure it would break her heart if he did. With a sigh she finally pulled back her hood, revealing her furry wolf ears atop her head. Her long bushy tail suddenly sprang out behind her, swishing back and forth along the floor.

Jakob's eyes grew wide as he saw it, but other than that he showed no other reaction from Holo's appearance. He stared at her ears and tail for a few moments and blinked twice, as if he was just imagining them. Once he realized they were still there, he slowly got up from his chair and walked over to them, staring them down intensely.

"How could you two keep something like this from me?"Jakob asked accusingly, "I treated you both as my own children and I loved you just as much."

"We're so sorry Master."Lawrence inputted quickly when he noticed Holo was on the verge of tears, "It's just...we had nowhere else to go and we were afraid you would turn Holo over to the church."

At that statement Jakob snorted, "Please Lawrence. I wouldn't turn over my worst enemy to the church, much less two kids of mine!"

"Really!?"Holo said, her face beaming as she wiped at her eyes.

At seeing Holo's teary eyes Jakob's features softened. He bent down and hugged her close, rubbing her back soothingly, "Of course child. I love you both with all my heart. You could have had two heads and I would still love you!"

At that all three of them laughed loudly, the tense atmosphere that had shrouded the room vanishing just like that. Jakob opened up his huge embrace and motioned for Lawrence to join in on their hug, which Lawrence was all too happy to oblige.

"Too be honest I had always thought something was up between you two."Jakob stated, hugging the two tightly, "You don't look anything like brother and sister. Plus I've seen the way you two look at each other."

"So you knew about me?"Holo asked incredulous, which caused Jakob to chuckle.

"That I knew you had wolf tail and ears?Heck no girl!"Jakob answered, "I just assumed you were runaways who had warring families that would not let your love for each other continue."

At that statement both Holo and Lawrence raised their eyebrows questioningly at him, but realizing he was partially joking they giggled. Holo smirked, "You sound like a sucker for romance eh Jakob?"

Jakob laughed hardheartedly at Holo's teasing, " Well I was quite the romantic in my younger days. I have swooned my fair share of maidens."

Both Lawrence and Holo smiled at that, believing full well that a kind man as Jakob had made more than a couple of girls fall hard for him. It made the pair wonder why exactly Jakob was still a bachelor. Despite the fact that Jakob seemed to take Holo being a wolf girl very well, they still had dozens more problem to deal with.

"Listen Master, we still have to deal with Holo's father." Lawrence said, snapping them out of their little happy chat immediately, "He is probably getting the guards and the church officials as we speak!"

"Then we have no time to waste!"Jakob replied, "Go upstairs and pack whatever you can carry on your backs! I'm afraid you kids are going to have to leave town."

"What!?"Lawrence shouted in shocked, "Where on earth would we go!?"

"I'm not sure son but you sure as hell can't stay here anymore."Jakob answered as he made his way to the door, "Let me see to some things and give me a bit to think. Now go and pack now!"

With that Holo and Lawrence raced out of the room and upstairs. They hurriedly began to pack, throwing their clothes and whatever belongings they had into two napsacks. Double-checking to make sure they didn't miss anything in their rooms that they would need for a quick escape, they left their rooms and started making their way to the staircase that led downstairs.

"Where will we go Lawrence!?" Holo asked as they ran down the hallway.

"Hell if I know. Hopefully Jakob has a plan."Lawrence answered at they came to the foot of the stairs. What greeted them stopped them right in their tracks.

At the base of the stairs stood five heavily-armed guards, with a lone man standing in front of them, gazing at the pair with one hateful eye. Jakob stood off to the side, his hands and ankles in chains. He had a huge lump on the side of his head, from the looks of it from the blunt end of a spear. He looked at them both with pained eyes.

"You weren't hoping to skip town were you witch?"Holo's father asked, malice in voice, "Cause you have a date with God!'


	13. Chapter 13: You'll Come for Me

Chapter 13: You'll Come for Me

"Get them both!"One of the soldiers yelled as they raced up the stairs after them. Holo's father simply stood there, arms crossed and laughing, as the soldiers surged towards his own daughter. Lawrence grabbed Holo's hand and ran back down the hall, away from the group of armed men.

"Lawrence where are we going? There's no way out!"Holo screamed a tone of defeat in her voice as she was pulled behind him.

"Oh yes there is!"Lawrence answered, looking ahead. At the end of the hallway was a closed window. He ran harder and faster, raising his shoulder up to face against the window.

Seeing the window, Holo's eyes grew wide, "Lawrence you fool! We're two stories up! No no no!"

They both screamed as they crashed through the window, Lawrence more so in pain. He felt the sting of the glass cutting into his skin in his shoulder and arm, and the rush of air under his feet. They both fell quickly into the streets below. Lawrence hissed in pain as he slammed into the cobble stoned streets, then yelled out as Holo landed on top of him.

"Thanks for breaking my fall with your puny body Lawrence." Holo said, a hint of malice in her voice. Guess she didn't appreciate being flung out of a two-story window.

"Anytime."Lawrence simply replied, gritting his teeth as he raised up and pushed Holo off of him. They looked up when they heard the soldiers shouting and pointing at them from the broken window.

Slowly, they both got up, already bleeding and bruised. Lawrence grabbed Holo's hand once more as they raced away from Jakob's tavern. A part of Lawrence wanted to turn right back around and help his adopted father, but he was no warrior. He couldn't possibly face all of those heavily armed thugs in a suicide attempt to save Jakob. He had no choice but to make a run for it, but he will not abandon his teacher. He will be back for him!

As they ran down the street, the two of them pushed their way through crowds of people. Already they could hear the soldiers behind them, ordering the citizens to make way. Lawrence was already injured, his leg ached from the fall and he was bleeding from the glass cuts. He wasn't sure how long he could run, or where he was running to for that matter. The city was a maze and all the exits out of the city had guard posts, so they couldn't even they rounded a corner, Holo came to a complete stop, causing Lawrence to jerked backwards.

"Holo!? What the hell are you doing!?"Lawrence yelled at her, tugging at her hand.

"Lawrence..."Holo said, almost in a whisper, "They are gonna catch us one way or another. Let's split up so perhaps they will only catch me."

"What are you crazy!? You're gonna LET yourself get caught!"Lawrence screamed, "Stop this nonsense and come on!"

Holo just smiled sadly, gently wrapping her other hand over his, prying his fingers off of her hand. Lawrence watch in horror and saddness, his hand falling to his side as he stared sadly at her. Holo looked up at him, her crimson eyes filled with tears. She leaped up and wrapped her slender arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest. Lawrence just stood, before slowly wrapping his arms around her back.

"I know you'll come for me Lawrence. Go, get help, come up with a plan, and then come and get me ok?"Holo instructed, placing a kiss on his cheek before dropping down and letting go of him, "Get going you idiot."

She gave him one last smile, before going back around the corner. Lawrence heard her, screaming at the guards. He guessed she was leading them down another street, away from him. Lawrence wasn't going to let Holo's sacrifice be in vain. He raced away from the shouting, tears streaming down his face. He felt like the biggest wimp in the world, letting the girl he loved get captured, and soon possibly tortured, while he escaped. He wasn't a man, he was a coward.

As he turned down an empty alleyway, he stopped, catching his breath and leaning against the wall. Now wasn't the time to be beating himself up. Holo was depending on him, and he couldn't afford to waste time. He had to come up with a plan to rescue her, but he knew he couldn't take on the Church alone. It was no secret that merchants didn't much care for the Church. They always hindered their sales and a lot of the time they were persecuted, the Church assuming they were heretics and worshiped pagan gods.

After Lawrence gather his wits, he left the alley, starting to walk away. He assumed he was far enough away now not to get caught, but he wasn't about to go walking in that direction anyway. He was deep in thought, so he didn't even see the person walking towards him. He collided with the person head-on, causing them to squeak in shock and fall backwards onto their bum. He finally shook himself to his senses, looking down at a familiar face.

"Oh gosh, I'm terribly sorry Nora!"Lawrence apologized, offering his hand to her, "I was deep in thought."

Nora the Shepherdess, rubbed her head, then when she noticed it was Lawrence, smiled, "It's quite alright Lawrence. It's my fault as well."

As Nora took his outstretched hand, Lawrence pulled her up. He was suddenly overcome with an idea. Perhaps Nora could help him, it was no secret she worked for the Church, but by her lifestyle, she wasn't paid well. He remembered that all she had was her dog and a tent out there. Deep down, Lawrence guessed Nora did not much care for the Church.

"How have you been Lawrence?" Nora asked, smiling up at him as she leaned against her staff, "By the way, where is Holo? She is usually around you."

Lawrence didn't catch the tone in which she said that, but at the mention of Holo his smile fell, "Nora, she has been captured by the church."

"What!?"Nora said, gasping, "Why on earth would they take her!?"

"They think she is a demon."Lawrence answered, a hint of malice in his voice.

"What? Cause of those fake wolf ears and such?"Nora said, scoffing, "Let me go talk to them, surely they'll release her once I inform them the ears and tail are fake."

"That's right..." Lawrence thought to himself, "They never told her the truth. Should he though?"

Finally, Lawrence sighed as he looked around, "Nora can we go somewhere a little more private to talk?"

Nora looked around as well, then nodded, "I was just heading back to my flock outside." and if reading his mind she added, "Don't worry I'll make sure you won't get caught. Unfortunately, they already have the so called demon, they probably won't bother looking for you anymore."

It hurt a little to hear her say that, but he knew that Holo was probably already captured. The thought churned his stomach and made him furious. Nora grabbed his hand, causing him to be shaken out of his dark thoughts. The contact made him blush a little, but he shook away those thoughts. He followed her towards the gates of the city. Someway, somehow, Lawrence was going to free Holo. And he was going to make the Church, and most of all, Holo's good-for-nothing father pay. Oh he would pay dearly.


	14. Chapter 14: A Plan of Action

Chapter 14: A Plan of Action

After Lawrence had finally told Nora everything, she just stared off in the distance in silence. He had considered just continuing to lie to her about Holo's true nature, however, Nora would probably find out eventually. So it was best he just tell her the truth already. She had lead him back outside the city, where her flock and her dog was. Making a camp in the exact same spot where Lawrence and Holo first met Nora, he began to tell her the truth. She listened to his tale in silence, occasionally her eyes would grow big or she would nod, but she never spoke. When Lawrence brought Nora up to speed he wasn't exactly sure how she would react. However, Lawrence was in desperate need of allies and outside of Jakob, she was the only person he trusted besides Holo.  
Finally, Nora spoke, "I wish you two told me sooner. I...I thought we were friends."

At that, Lawrence's face fell. He preapred himself for her to be hurt over hiding the truth from her, but it still stung. She indeed was his friend, even though regrettably, he never had time to see her outside of the city. Either Lawrence was too busy with his training with Jakob, or he was with Holo. He was already feeling guilty ignoring Nora these past few months, and now he felt even worse. Although, he did deserve it.

"I'm very sorry Nora. Really I am." Lawrence apologized, " It's just... you worked for the Church and we were afraid you might inform them of Holo."

"I guess I can understand."Nora replied, sighing as she turned back to Lawrence, "but just so you know I have no love for the Church."

Lawrence was actually shocked, "Really?! Then why work for the Church?"

"Because the Church raised me since I was a child. The Church was my home and it was all I knew."Nora answered, her eyes downcast, "I wasn't taught much else but the grace of God and how to pray. So when I was old enough to be out on my own, I had no real skills. I was forced to work for the Church, tending to their flocks. I'm trapped in this."

"Well do they at least pay you well?"Lawrence said, feeling sorry for her predicament.

Nora scoffed at him, "Yeah right. They say I'm working for God and not money, so they barely pay me enough to eat."

"Sounds like you have no love for the Church then." Lawrence said.

For a minute Nora was silent, as if deciding whether or not to voice how she truly felt, then she finally replied, "Yes. I have no love for the Church. I...hate the Church."

"Well then, now I'm very sorry I didn't tell you sooner. We would have had a lot to chat about." Lawrence smiled, which earned him a smile in return, "I just wish you weren't the only one in this city that hates the Church though, we could use more help."

Nora chuckled, shaking her head, " Come now Lawrence. You really think we are the only ones in Ruvinheign?Alot of people despise the Church and their oppressive ways, but with the Church having their own army, the citizens are too afraid to speak up. They need someone to rally them Lawrence...they need a leader."

Lawrence was thinking hard on her words, off in his own world. He didn't even notice Nora staring at him when she said that last sentence. He finally noticed her looking at him and quickly shook his head no.

"Nora don't be foolish now. I'm just a teenager. You honestly think I can be a leader and what? Make the town rise up against the Church?" Lawrence replied incredulously.

"If not you Lawrence then who? What other choice do you see?"Nora asked, bending down when her dog came up beside her and petted him, "Holo is counting on you after all."

For awhile Lawrence said nothing, just stared off into the distance at the towering building of the Church. The Church was positioned in the center of the city, like it was the marvel and main tourist attraction of Ruvinheign. The more Lawrence stared at the eyesore, the angrier he got. What kind of torment is Holo going through right now? While Lawrence was out and free, just chatting it up with a friend. Holo is indeed counting on him, and if the only way to save her was to rally the entire city of Ruvinheign behind him, then he will do just that.

"Alright. Let's do it then." Lawrence spoke, "Any suggestions though on how to incite a rebellion?"

"Hmmm," Nora thought, holding her chin, "Well...the perfect time is when the Church forces all the citizens of the city to the front of the church. It would seem likely that they will do that soon."

"Why does the Church make all the people gather in front of their building?" Lawrence asked.

"Because...the citizens have to watch when they are burning sinners at the stake."Nora replied.

Holo was shaken from her nightmare as she heard the basement door being shoved open and it hitting the wall. She slowly rose up from the cold hard floor as she peered forward past the iron bars. It had been a few hours since the soldiers of Ruvinheign had captured her and brought her back to the Church, where she was placed in the basement. The basement served as the jailhouse of the city, and it certainly felt like it. The place was cold and damp, with the only light coming from underneath the door of the basement.

They had taken most of her clothes, revealing to all who came down her wolf tail and ears. Not that no one came down anyway, for fear the demon would seduce them with her red demonic eyes. She chuckled at the thought, she had no interest in anyone but Lawrence. Lawrence...

"That fool better be busting me out of here soon." She mumbled, before remembering that someone was in the basement with her.

"He won't be able to save you demon." a familiar voice spoke up harshly, then her father came into view. He stared angrily at her through his bandaged face.

"He beat you once father," Holo replied, saying the word father with venom and disgust, " and by the looks of your ugly ass face, very badly too. He'll come for me and beat you again. And this time...I won't stop him when you are an inch away from death!"

Her crimson eyes stared back at the man with such hatred that it caused him to back away from the iron bars a bit. He regained his composure and laughed loudly, his cackling echoing off the walls of the basement and flooding the room. His one unbandaged eye gazed at her madly.

"He won't get the jump on me this time. Besides my dear monsterous daughter, Lawrence won't get the chance to save you. Cause come tomorrow, you will burned at the stake! For all of Ruvinheign to see! The Church and I will do God's work and cleanse this world of one less demon!"

Holo's father, no Tabias, for that was his real name, he was never her father and she will never call it that again, raised his hands in the air, praising his god. After hearing that she was to be set on fire in front of the entire city, it took every ounce of control not to break down and cry. She would not give Tabias the satisfaction. She shook uncontrollably, staring at the man in pure rage and anger as shouted praises up to the ceiling. When he finally left, slamming the basement door behind and once again immersing the room in pitch black darkness, Holo broke down and began sobbing. She curled up into a ball and started crying into her tail, holding it close to her.

"Please Lawrence...don't leave me. Save me please." Holo said into the blackness between sobs.


	15. Chapter 15: Prelude to Rebellion

Chapter 15: Prelude to Rebellion

Lawrence sure didn't have that much time for preparing his plan of attack. The very next day The Church officials announced that the citizens of Ruvinheign must attend a "service" in the town square. Instantly when it was announced the faces of the townspeople fell. They knew what that really meant. Another burning a so-called heretic at the stake. They haven't had such an event happen in the town for a least a couple of years now, but still the last burning was forever etched into their brains.

As Lawrence walked down the street with Nora he could catch bits and pieces of the town's conversations. Apparently, another girl was burned at the stake about three years ago. She was around the same age as Holo and was accused of being a witch. None of the citizens he has overheard so far believed she was though. It seems the unfortunate girl was a great medicine woman. However, her talents for healing the sick grabbed the attention of the Church, and soon she was accused of being a witch. Despite the protests of the citizens, the poor girl was still burned. It seems the majority of the people held no love for the Church, which might work to Lawrence's advantage.

"Lawrence what are we going to do? We still have no plan to save Holo." Nora asked, her dog trailing beside her. She reached down and petted the animal as she looked up at him.

Lawrence was deep in thought. For awhile he said nothing before finally replying to her, " We will have to incite the crowd at the burning. I see no other option."

"What!? That's cutting it a little too close isn't it!?" Nora answered, shocked.

"We don't have enough time to gather any allies. Holo is going to be burned at the stake in just a couple of hours." Lawrence replied, "Besides, what if we talked to someone who was loyal to the Church? We could tip them off and who knows what would happen."

"I hope you know what you're doing Lawrence." Nora said, almost in a whisper, "I was there when Annie was burned at the stake..."

"What? You were there when that girl was killed?" Lawrence stated, surprised.

Nora nodded, tears in her eyes, " It was completely by accident. I knew nothing about the burning taking place. I stumbled upon it after coming into the city to buy some food and supplies. Lawrence it...it was so awful! I knew her! She healed me when I got sick and even fixed up my dog when he was attacked by a wolf defending the flock one day. She was so nice! Annie didn't deserve that!"

Nora then broke down and started sobbing uncontrollably. She covered her eyes with her hands as she continued crying. Lawrence looked around the street, unsure what to do. It seemed no one paid her any mind, or just chose to ignore her. Quite frankly a lot of people looked upset anyway by the Church's news. Hesitantly, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around, pulling her into a hug.

"Lawrence?"Nora said between sobs, looking up at him from his chest. Her cheeks were bright red.

"It's ok Nora." Lawrence replied, smiling down at her, "I'll make sure you won't have to witness such a thing again. We will save Holo."

Nora nodded, and after a few more tears, stepped out of Lawrence's embrace. She quickly wiped her eyes and looked away from him, her cheeks still red. Lawrence looked away himself, his own cheeks the same color. He cheeks instantly went back to red as Holo entered his thoughts. He shouldn't be out basically flirting with Nora as Holo was locked away, about to die!

"Come on Nora." Lawrence commanded, his tone turning serious, " We have a lot to do"

Lawrence turned on his heel and started walking down the street, followed closely by the Shepherdess. If Lawrence was to incite an uprising and face down the Church's army, he needed to look the part and defend himself. Jakob had stored away armor and weapons in the back of his tavern. Not only was Jakob's tavern a place for traveling merchants to relax and rest, it was also a place for them to store away some of their goods for a short time. Of course they had to pay Jakob a small fee for that.

"Jakob..." Lawrence said, muttering to himself, "I hope he is alright as well."

Lawrence quickly shook his head, dispelling the dark and depressing thoughts beginning to invade his mind. As he came about a block away from the tavern, Lawrence noticed that two guards were posted at the entrance. Guess they expected him to come back here, where they would capture him and likely burn him as well.

"What are we going to do now?" Nora asked, coming up beside him and staring at the guards.

"Don't worry. There is another entrance behind the building. While there are some soldiers, I doubt they would post more than two guards just to apprehend one kid." Lawrence explained, motioning for Nora to follow him.

He circled around the block and back behind the tavern. Just as he thought, the back entrance wasn't guarded. It seemed like luck was on Lawrence's side. Pulling out the spare key that Jakob gave him, he unlocked the door. He gently pushed the door open, and peered inside. The room was dark but thankfully, empty. He sighed and pushed the door open further.

"Come on Nora. Let's get to work." Lawrence said with grim determination.

Holo jerked awake as she heard the door to the basement slam open. She slowly sat up on her knees, wiping away dirt and some drool from her mouth. As soldiers, priests, and her despicable father entered the room her eyes were bombarded by the many bright lights coming from the torches they carried. Holo hissed in pain, having been use to the darkness of her prison, and quickly shielded her eyes.

"Time to burn witch!" Tabias spat, glaring at her with his one uncovered eye.

"Now now let's not be hasty."one of the priests beside him interjected. The man took a couple of steps forward just a few inches from the iron bars that held her in, " While we can't save you from the fire tonight, we can still save you from the fires of eternity my child. Will you repent of your wickedness so you will join the Heavenly Father in paradise?"

"Let me get this straight." Holo replied slowly as she tried to control herself, " I must repent for being myself, and even if I do what you ask I'll still be burned at the stake?"

"I'm afraid so. Your body is wicked and full of sin so it must be burned and cleansed," The priest answered, " but if you accept the Lord into your heart your soul can still be saved child."

Before the priest or any of the guards could react Holo sprung up from her knees and raced across her cell at the man. Reaching through the bars, she grabbed the priest by the front of his shirt and pulled him closer to her, his face squished against the cold metal. His eyes went wide and she could see the shock and terror in them. She smiled sinisterly at the man.

"If your God demands that innocents must burn for no reason why would I want to join him in his so-called paradise!?" Holo yelled, showing her fangs to the him, "If I accepted your offer, which there is no chance of that, I would only go to heaven to try and kill the bastard myself! Keep your petty religion away from me! I'd rather kill myself right here and now than give you the satisfaction of accepting "forgiveness" from your master!"

As she finished Holo shoved the priest away, who stumbled onto his back on the floor. He was shaking all over and scrambled away from the her and behind the bewildered soldiers. Having gain some distance from the demonic girl, the priest regained his composure and got back up on his feet.

"You shouldn't have done that demon!" The man yelled, "I was only trying to save you from Hell! Now you will suffer there forever! Get her out of there and tie her hands behind her!"

"Good...bet I shall find better company there than in heaven anyway." Holo retorted as the soldiers opened the cell and pushed her face against the nearby wall.

None too gently, they bound her hands behind her back and pushed her out of the cell. Using the butt of their spears, the urge her along, making her walk out of the basement and up a set of stairs. As she was lead through the interior of the church she was awestruck at how beautiful it was. Candles lit up the church, giving off a peaceful atmosphere. Tall pillars loomed above her and beautifully crafted stained-glass windows, depicting many characters and places from their holy book. She had never seen anything look so lavish and beautiful, and yet, she knew it was a lie. The surroundings, no matter how beautiful, couldn't hide the ugliness underneath. The church was a prison and a place where the soul was entrapped by fear, with a monster who called himself their creator at the helm of it all. Holo wanted nothing more than to destroy this abomination...this stain on the world.

As she was lead to the front of the church the wooden doors were pushed outwards, revealing a huge crowd of people. She was shocked that so many people had come to watch her burn. Did her suffering give them some sort of sick pleasure? These people were more monstrous than what they claimed her to be! However, upon further inspecting the crowd she noticed the majority of them looked onto her not with disgust and hatred, but with pity and sadness. Maybe these people were forced to watch her, as a testament to all sinners. Holo almost felt more sorry for the people of this town than herself...almost. After all, she was the one being burned at the stake not them!

She was lead through the crowd, which gave her and the soldiers a path. Most of the people looked terrified, not of Holo surprisingly, but of the soldiers and priests. As they came upon the center of the town square Holo saw a huge pile of wood, stacked like a pyramid, with a single huge pole at the top in the center. The soldiers lifted her up onto the wood pyramid, tying her to the pole. She paid the wicked soldiers no mind as they jumped down from the pile. Her eyes scanned the square, hoping to see Lawrence. That's when her eyes came across a wooden cage on wheels in the distance.

The wagon was guarded by two soldiers and inside, much to her horror, was a beaten and bloody Jakob. He gazed back at her with the same expression in her eyes. Tears flowed down his face as he saw her. He shook the bars on his cage, desperately trying to free himself and save his adopted daughter. The guards to his cage shouted at him poking their spears through the space between the bars at him. Jakob shouted and backed away, but never broke eye contact with Holo.

At this moment Holo should have given in to despair. She should be pleading for her life, especially as she saw soldiers bringing the torches towards the foot of the pyramid. However, she would not be giving them the satisfaction. Holo raised her head high and glared defiantly at the priests, who stayed at the entrance of the church, overlooking all.

"Look upon her citizens of Ruvinhiegn!"The priest who she had threatened shouted to the crowd, "Gaze at her wolf ears and tail! She is a demon! Come to spread wickedness and evil upon God's innocent people!"

As the townspeople listened and gazed at her, whispers began to fill the square. Most looked upon her with shock and fear. Others backed away from the pile of wood, either from fear of her or the impeding flames she couldn't tell. And some looked upon her with pity and others glared at the soldiers and men of God, full of hatred and disgust.

"Today we shall cleanse the plague from God's world! We will send this monster back to the pits of hell where she belongs!"

Suddenly, a voice rang out above all the rest, "The only monster I see here is you!"

The crowd, the soldiers, and the priests turned to the direction of where the voice originated. Standing on top of a huge horse-drawn wagon was a boy, his white hair gleaming in the light of the many torches. He wore a long brown cloak, which swayed in the wind, and a sword at his side. The boy wore gray metal armor on his shoulders, hands, knees, and feet. His face wore the expression of unbridled fury as he glared at them all.

"Lawrence!" Holo shouted, and in what felt like years to her, she finally smiled once again.


	16. Chapter 16: War for the Wolf

Chapter 16: War for the Wolf

"How dare you! I'm a servant of the Almighty Father!" the priest shouted back at Lawrence, "I only do what he asks of me, as everyone should do!"

"So let me see if I have this correct."Lawrence spoke, loud enough for all in the square to hear, "God asks to oppress and torture his own people for being themselves. That doesn't sound like a loving god to me! Sounds more like a cold-hearted tyrant!"

At that everyone in the crowd started murmuring to one another, nodding their heads in agreement. This didn't go unnoticed by the priest and his men. He looked around at the faces of the people, trying to control the rising panic. If he allowed this boy to continue, he knew an uprising would happen very quickly.

"Do not let him deceive you people of Ruvinheign! This poor child is under this demon's spell!" The priest replied, "Guards silence the boy now!"

The soldiers nodded as they began shoving through the crowd towards Lawrence. However, this only helped ignite the flames even more at the not-so-gently treatment of the soldiers. Men, women, and children were pushed and shoved to the ground as the church's goons tried to get to the heretic child as fast as possible. This only made the already riled-up crowd angrier.

"You see! Either agree with the Church and bow down to them or else be killed!" Lawrence yelled to the citizens, "People of Ruvinheign, stand up and fight for your freedom! For too long you have been oppressed, seen your friends and family killed by them, and forced to give the church your hard earned money unwillingly!"

Lawrence quickly turned around and pulled the covers off the back of the wagon he was standing on. Inside the cargo hold of the wagon was an array of weapons. Swords, spears,shields, and armor was piled into the wagon. Both Lawrence and Nora had spent about thirty minutes just putting all the weapons and armor from Jakob's tavern. Their progress was even slower by the fact they had to be as quiet as possible, so they wouldn't attract anyone's attention.

As if on cue, Nora opened the back of the wagon and out spilled all the weapons onto the street before the people. Some looked down at the weapons hesitantly, as if the weapons would bite them. It seemed time had stopped as everyone gazed down at the weapons. The priests, the soldiers, everyone just stopped and looked at the weapons, waiting for someone else to make the first move.

Finally, an old man, hunched over on a wooden cane, pushed himself slowly towards the nearest weapon. With shaking legs, the old man bent down and struggled to pick up the heavy sword. Everyone in the square watched the old man, eyes glued to him. With much struggling, the man cast aside his cane and raised the sword high over his head, for all to see.

"I for one, will fight!"the old man said, shouting to everyone as loud as he could, "My whole life I have been under the boot of the Church! Today is the day I will fight with this boy, save this poor child from the stake, and get back my freedom!"

Screams suddenly rang out as the old man sword slipped from his grasp. He stared with huge eyes down at his chest, where a spear lay impeded in him. The old man's eyes trailed up the spear and looked into the eyes of one of the soldiers. The old man glared with hatred at the soldier, and with his last bit of strength, spit into the soldier's face. Then, man fell backwards and crumbled to the ground, the spear in his chest standing straight up in the air.

That act was like the finally crack on the dam before it burst. Angry shouts and cries rang out in the square as one of the citizens jumped onto the back of the soldier who murdered the poor old man, pounding on the soldier with his fists. The other soldiers instantly started attacking the rest of the people, partly in defense and fear. Men and women rushed to the pile of weapons and armed themselves as everyone started fighting back against the Church's soldiers. The priests at the front of the Church shouted for reinforcements before they fled into the safety of the church. Lawrence saw more soldiers rushing into the town square, but was met with an angry and armed mob. Lawrence jumped down from the wagon, pulling out his own sword from his side.

"Nora! Free Jakob! I'm going after Holo!" Lawrence ordered as he pushed through the raging crowd. Nora nodded as she made her way to the wooden cage holding the man.

As Nora made her way to the cage, one of the soldiers guarding Jakob blocked her way. The man shouted in anger as he raised his sword high in the air, about to bring it down upon her. Nora had a weapon herself, but was so terrified she couldn't bring herself to draw it. She fell backwards onto the floor and shielded her head with her hands, eyes closed and waiting for her demise. That's when she heard the screams of pain from the soldier fill her ears. She looked up to see her dog, Enek, had come to her rescue. Enek had the soldier by his sword arm, biting down as hard as he could. The man bellowed in pain as blood started flowing from the bite. He was about to bring his other hand crashing down onto the dog's head when he felt something grab. The soldier turned to see Jakob had reached through the bars and had grabbed his other arm. With a sickening twist, Jakob broke the soldier's arm. Before the wounded soldier could even scream out, Jakob grabbed the man's head and slammed it repeatedly against the wooden bars of his cage. After a few hits, the soldier slumped to the ground unconscious.

"Thank you sir."Nora said as she rose up onto her feet, then reached down and patted her dog, "and thank you as well Enek."

"The man should have the keys to my cage on him." Jakob replied, "Open this cage and let me at them!"

Lawrence pushed himself through the battlefield, dodging both the citizens and soldiers as they battled one another. He had to block and parry a few strikes from soldiers, before losing them in the crowd. He finally made his way to the wooden pile holding Holo. He looked up and smiled up at Holo, who looked back at him and smiled as well. He climbed up the pile to her, cutting her free from the pole. Instantly he felt her arms wrap around his neck and felt her lips crush against his own. For a few seconds, everything melted away. It was only him and Holo. She finally broke the kiss and with it, the illusion.

"I knew you would come for me." Holo said, "but you sure waited till the last minute."

"Sorry. I wanted to make a dramtic rescue." Lawrence replied with a smirk. Holo just rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh how sweet!" a sinister voice rang out below them. The two looked down at the base of the wooden pile to see Tabais holding a flaming torch, "The lovers are finally together once again!Only for both of them to die at in the flames of righteousness!"

Tabais threw the torch into the pile, igniting the wood instantly. Flames started to rise and was about to engulf them. Lawrence grabbed Holo by the hand and they both jumped off the other side of the wooden pyramid, just before the fire ignited the entire pile. The two of them crashed onto the ground, rolling away from the flames.

"Ouch Lawrence! How come every time we jump off of something we almost get hurt!"Holo groaned as she got back up on her feet. She extended her hand to the fallen Lawrence and helped him up.

"Sorry I'm not graceful enough for your liking." Lawrence said, groaning a bit in pain.

"I suppose I can't complain though."Holo replied, flashing him a fanged smile.

"Guess I'll just have to do God's work myself!" Tabias yelled as he circled around the flaming pillar and raced after the pair.

"Come on!" Lawrence ordered as he grabbed Holo's hand as they both ran from the man.

The two made their way through the warring crowd towards the Church. The two, pushed open the door and raced inside. They came across the priests, cowering in the corner and praying frantically. Holo locked eyes with the priest she had encountered.

"I'll be coming for you worm!" Holo warned, but turned away from the man as they raced up a nearby staircase. Had she stayed for another second, she would have noticed the urine stain that appeared on the priest's robes.

As they climbed higher and higher up the stairs, they finally came to a door and shoved it open. Lawrence and Holo realized that they were on the roof of the church. They ran to the edge and gazed down at Ruvinheign. The city was a war zone. Fires had erupted all across the city and shouts and the clanging of weapons rang out into the night. The town square was filled with the men and women of the city, trying to fight off the Church's men.

"Look at what you two have down!" Tabias spat at them as he appeared at the doorway to the rooftop, "You have instigated chaos and suffering!"

"The Church did this, not I. I only gave the people of this city a chance for freedom." Lawrence replied, pulling Holo behind him and pointing his sword at her father.

"You are a fool to think they will win. The Church is way too powerful and we have God himself on our side!" Tabias yelled, pointing his own sword at Lawrence.

"Is that so? Well let's see if your god will help you now! I will do everything in my power to protect Holo! I won't let you harm her!" Lawrence shouted at the top of his lungs.

"You cannot defeat a servant of the lord! I am in the right here! I am blessed and righteous!" Tabias answered, looking into the air and saying a quick prayer, "I will wipe you sinners off of God's perfect world!"

"We'll see about that!" Lawrence growled as he raced towards him. Tabias smirked as he rushed toward Lawrence as well. The swords collided in the air, sparks flying off from the contact. The two glared at each other, struggling to push each other backwards.

"I will free you child from Holo's spell. You will thank me for this!" Tabias said.


	17. Chapter 17: Fall of the Father

Chapter 17: Fall of the Father

Lawrence struggled to hold his own against Holo's deranged father. Tabias was twice his size and twice as strong. He had gotten lucky the first time the two of them clashed, having taken Tabias by surprise. Now, as Lawrence fought for not only his life but Holo's as well, he regretted not finishing him off back then. Lawrence quickly blocked a slash from Tabias' sword, which would have sliced through his legs. However, as he focused on the blow, he didn't see Tabias use his free hand to punch Lawrence across the face. The punch caused him to fall backwards and flat on his back.

"You're pathetic boy. Have you never handled a sword before?" Tabias said, taunting him. Holo quickly rushed to Lawrence's side and helped him back up onto his feet.

"Lawrence you okay?" Holo asked, concerned.

"I'm fine." Lawrence grumbled, rubbing his cheek. He wasn't given much time before Tabias launched another attack.

Lawrence shoved Holo aside as he caught Tabias' sword swing with his own sword. Tabias was relentless in his attack, laughing madly and looking as if he was enjoying himself. Holo stood to the side, holding back tears. She had no weapon to help Lawrence and she now felt more helpless than she did when she was a prisoner of the Church. Meanwhile Lawrence was doing everything he could just to stay alive. He hadn't even been able to counter-attack yet. He was having to defend himself constantly.

"Killing you will be a mercy boy!" Tabias yelled as Lawrence dodged to the right, barely missing his sword, "At least then you will be free from that demon's clutches!"

"How could you say that about your own daughter! You monster!" Lawrence growled, finally getting in a swing of his own. It caught Tabias by surprise. He stepped left and avoided the swing, dodging Lawrence's blade by a second.

"She is not my daughter!"Tabias spat back at him, "How can that...thing be human! Much less my child! I was cursed by the devil! But after I get rid of her I'll be cleansed! But first I must kill you!"

"I should have killed you when I had the chance!" Lawrence said as their swords clashed in mid-air.

"A mistake on your part kid."Tabias replied, his one eye glaring at him, " A mistake I won't make!"

Tabias kicked Lawrence in the chest, knocking him backwards. He lay sprawled out on his back, his sword falling out of his grasp and spinning across the floor. Before Lawrence could even move he felt the tip of Tabias' sword at his neck. He glared up at the man with fury, while Tabias simply smiled down at him. Lawrence could feel a trickle of blood run down his neck from where the tip of the sword poked him.

"I admit, I feel a little bad having to kill a child," Tabias said, without any trace of regret in his voice, "but you are already tainted with sin. Corrupted by that demon girl. I shall free you from your wicked life. Then her."

"No!" Holo screamed as she jumped onto her father's back. She screamed with anger and hate as she pounded her fists into the back of his head.

Caught off guard, Tabias struggled as he tried to reach Holo with his one free hand, since the other was holding his sword. He tried throwing her off his back, but Holo held onto him tight, never letting up her assault. He finally started to swipe and stab at her with his weapon, although careful not to hurt himself. Holo dodged the sword strokes, struggling to stay on her father's back and avoid his deadly blade. Lawrence used Holo's distraction. Quickly getting back up on his feet he raced to retrieve his weapon.

Tabias leaned hisupper-body forward, causing Holo to be flipped off his back and onto hers in front of him. She looked up at him with fear in her eyes. Tabias raised his sword over his head, ready to bring it down upon his child.

"May God have mercy on your soul!" Tabias screamed, laughing madly in triumph.

Suddenly, Tabias' eyes widened in horror and pain as he felt his back pierced with something sharp. He felt whatever it was push its way through his body, before finally ripping through his chest. His whole body shook as he looked down at his chest, seeing the tip of a blade poking out of his body. Blood poured like a waterfall from the wound and down his stomach. Tabias coughed, blooding spurting from his mouth. His sword fell from his weakened grasp, clanging to the ground beside him. Slowly, Tabias turned his head to look behind him, seeing Lawrence holding the sword that was quickly killing him.

"If you love your God so much. Go and join him!"Lawrence snarled.

Lawrence was trying to keep himself together and not go into a mental breakdown. He had just stabbed Tabias. He was dying and Lawrence was the one that had done it. He tried not to throw up, holding down the bile. His whole body shook and Lawrence sunk to his knees, looking at the imbedded sword.

Tabias staggered away, near the edge of the roof, from the two of them. He tried to reach around and pull out the sword, but he was too weak and couldn't reach the hilt. He looked down as a pool of blood started forming around him. His eye trailed upward and stare at both Holo and Lawrence, but no emotion was in them, they were empty. Tabias finally looked upward, towards the clouds.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I failed you God."Tabias said, slowly and painfully. He stumbled backwards, his body was flipping over the railing and out of sight.

It felt like an eternity as Lawrence and Holo stared at where her father had been. Finally, the pair rose back up on their feet and cautiously looked over the railing and down below. They saw Tabias' crumbled body sprawled out on the church steps below. Lawrence turned away from the sight but not Holo. She stared down at the shattered body, looking for any trace that life was still in it. She had to make sure he was dead. Holo should have felt relieved and happy that her father was truly dead. However, she felt cold and empty.

Years of abuse, both verbally and physically, were finally at an end. No longer will she be up at night, wondering if her father would come and beat her again. He tried to kill both her and Lawrence, but instead they had killed him. She knew she had no other choice, but she felt like the very monster her father thought she was. She had killed someone, and she guessed Lawrence was feeling the same, if not worse.

She finally looked away and turned around to see Lawrence and few feet away. He was leaning over, dry heaving. Tears were flowing down his face and he look pale. Holo had helped in the destruction of her father, but it was Lawrence who was the one who truly ended him. Slowly, she walked towards him and knelt down in front of the hunched-over Lawrence. Holo wrapped her arms around his neck and Lawrence placed his head in the crook of her neck, sobbing softly.

"It's ok. What's done is done. You had no other choice."Holo said softly, stroking the back of his head, "I love you Lawrence. I love you so much."

Holo did her best to hold back her own tears, before letting them fall silently down her face. A few minutes passed in silence, before finally the tears stopped for them both. They hugged each other tightly, Holo planting a soft kiss on his cheek. They gazed out at the city, noticing that the cries and shouts of battle were slowly fading. The fires that had engulfed the city were dying down. The battle for Ruvinheign was over.


	18. Chapter 18:Aftermath

Chapter 18: Aftermath

The next day was filled with a mix of joy and sadness. The citizens of Ruvinheign had defeated the Church and their forces, but at great cost. The death toll was over a hundred, with others missing or seriously wounded. It was still a victory, but it was bittersweet. Most of the enemy soldiers had been wiped out, with the rest of them surrendering to the rebel citizens. They were thrown in jail, along with the priests of the Church. Soon, they would have to answer for their years of crimes against the people, but for now, the citizens had other matters to attend to. Like rebuilding their city, which a lot of buildings had burned in the battle, and trying to restore order now that the Church was no longer in charge.

Lawrence was helping with the cleaning on the streets. Most of the city was either trashed or burned. This street in particular showed signs of heavy battle, with bloodstains, debris, and ruined buildings. He tried blocking out the moans and screams of the people injured as he piled up the junk into a nearby pile. The injured lined the sidewalks of the city, since most of the buildings were unsafe to be in. Wagons pulled by exhausted horses and bulls went back and forth along the streets, pulling along carts filled with the wounded.

As Lawrence tossed more burned wood into one of the many piles he caught sight of Holo across the street, trying her best to help the injured. He knew that Holo felt she was partly responsible for all this, and honestly, maybe she was. However, Lawrence figured that sooner or later Ruvinheign would have rebelled. You can only oppress people for so long before they are pushed over the edge and rebelled. Lawrence guessed Holo only quicken the pace of it. If anything though, Lawrence was the real person to blame. He stoked the fires of anger in the citizens and even gave them the weapons and means to fight back, all to save Holo. Lawrence felt just as guilty, maybe even more than Holo about all this.

The two hadn't talked much since last night. Killing Holo's father and the citizens that were dead weighed heavily on them. So they tried their best to ignore those dark thoughts and focus on helping repair the city and it's people.

"Hey Lawrence, you might need to take a break. You look exhausted." a voice called out to him said. Lawrence turned to see Jakob smiling at him, who looked just as tired as he did.

"I'm fine Jakob. I can handle a little manual labor." Lawrence answered, staring at the man.  
During the battle while Lawrence and Holo dealt with Tabias, Jakob had been the leader of the rebellion. He quickly took command of the citizens and organized them among the chaos. If it wasn't for his leadership, the battle may have taken an even much darker toll. However, even Jakob didn't come out of this fight unharmed. One of the soldiers has managed to get close to him during the fight, and had taken a swipe at his head with a longsword. Jakob had missed most of the blade, however, the tip had caught him in the left eye, utterly destroying it. He had it covered with an eye patch, but Lawrence could still see the scar along the left cheek, where the injury protruded from under the patch.

"I know what you and Holo are feeling Lawrence." Jakob said, reading him like a book, " Don't blame yourselves for this. It was bound to happen sooner or later. And if you think about it, if you haven't given them the weapons and courage to fight back, we wouldn't have won. So you are hero lad. Cheer up."

"I suppose you're right." Lawrence replied, although he didn't really believe him.

"I also know what you're going through about killing Tabias." Jakob said, patting him gently on the soldier.

"How would you know how I feel?! I murdered someone Jakob!" Lawrence shouted, twisting his shoulder out of Jakob's grip and glared up at the man.

"Believe it or not son I have killed someone as well." Jakob answered grimly, much to Lawrence's surprise.

"What happened?"Lawrence asked. Jakob sighed, as if just remembering the incident caused him pain.

"When I was young Lawrence I was a traveling merchant."Jakob continued, a far off look in his eye, "I was traveling by night, a foolish act on my part. But I was excited to get to the next sale, because a store there had ordered a lot of fur pelts. I could already feel my pocket sagging from the coin I was to make. That was when I was ambushed by a bandit."

Lawrence listened intently to Jakob's tale, and after checking to make sure Lawrence was listening, continued, "I gave him everything. The furs, the wagon, everything but the clothes on my back. However, that wasn't enough for the bandit. He didn't want anyone to know his face and he didn't want witnesses. He wasn't going to let me walk away from this encounter. I had a small knife on my belt. He had a huge sword but it was better than going down without a fight. Well needless to say, I'm here obviously, and for about a year I had nightmares about the event."

"How did you get over it?" Lawrence asked sadly, eyes downcast.

"Because I realized there was no choice. It was either him or me. I didn't start the fight, so realistically, it wasn't my fault. Should I really go through many sleepless nights because I defended myself? No. I just did what I had to to survive, and so did you. Not only that, Lawrence you did it to save Holo. I can think of nothing more noble than saving the person you love."

"Love!?" Lawrence shouted, his cheeks burning red.

"Yes Lawrence I'm not stupid. I knew all along you and Holo weren't siblings."Jakob answered, laughing, " I've seen the way you two look at each other boy. That ain't just a love between siblings. Besides, you don't look nothing alike. A good merchant can always tell when someone is lying."

For a moment Lawrence was speechless, he finally found his voice, replying, "Then how come you didn't call us out on our lie?"

"I figured you two had your reasons," Jakob sniffed, rubbing his nose a bit, "I assumed you would tell me the truth when you both were ready. Although to be honest I never would have guessed the reason you hid the truth from me was because of well Holo's..."

Jakob didn't finish his sentence as the pair turn to look at Holo across the street. Lawrence knew what Jakob meant anyway. Now that the secret was out and the whole town knew about Holo's wolf tail and ears, she exposed them proudly for all to see. A lot of people stare in awe and wonder as she passed by, but most didn't really even care. They had better things to worry about than a wolf girl at the moment.

"Well now that the cat's out of the bag, well...wolf. I guess Holo won't have to hide herself under all those clothes anymore."

"I would agree with you Lawrence but unfortunately I have something to tell you." Jakob replied, a grim expression on his face, "You and Holo can't stay in Ruvinheign anymore."

"What!? Why not!?" Lawrence yelled, a mix of anger and confusion in his voice.

"Lawrence don't you realize the consequences of this rebellion? Not only is the entire city an enemy of the Church now, you and Holo especially are, since you are the people that started it. They'll come for you and Holo for what you did, and this isn't probably this last battle Ruvinheign will see."Jakob explained.

"Then let us stay! We can help!"Lawrence pleaded. Ruvinheign was his home, and the idea of leaving it, possibly forever, filled him with dread and sadness.

"I'm sorry son, but I can't. We are too weak and too few to defend against the full power of the Church, and if they come here we will surely be overwhelmed. And if you two are captured, everything that was achieved here will be in vain." Jakob answered.

"Then how is us leaving will change anything?" Lawrence questioned.

"If rumors spread that the wolf girl and her human companion have fled the city and were on the run, the Church may just go after you two and leave Ruvinheign alone, at least for awhile."Jakob exclaimed.

"So basically we are just bait to draw off the forces of the Church huh? How is that any better than getting captured in the city? Sounds like we will just get captured eventually!" Lawrence spat angerily, Jakob simply sighed and lead him away from the crowd, since he was making a scene and drawing attention.

"Look Lawrence, at least out there you will have a chance. Here, this city is surrounded by walls. If Ruvinhiegn ever got invaded there would be practically no chance of you two escaping. I'm sorry Lawrence but it's the best possible course of action." Jakob continued, patting his back comfortingly in order to calm him down.

"Then where will we go? How will we survive?"Lawrence asked, starting to feel a little bit hopeless.

"Are you an idiot boy? Have you forgotten the very reason you came to live with me in the first place? To be a traveling merchant! You have all the skills and knowledge you need to begin your travels son. All you need now is a horse and wagon and you'll be ready. I'll even provide those for you myself! Free of charge!" Jakob answered, smiling brightly at him.

"Really? You think I'm ready sir?" Lawrence said, unsure of himself.

"I know you are lad. And you'll be a great merchant." Jakob replied, looking him dead in the eye. Lawrence could tell he meant every word he said, "and don't worry my boy. We will see each other again. You two are my children after all."

At that the two of the hugged, both sobbing, a mix of joy and sadness. Holo saw the pair and walked up to them, to see what was going on. Jakob told everything to her that he had told to Lawrence, then the trio hugged together. They may not be able to see each other for a long time, but they were still going to be a family.


	19. Chapter 19:A New Beginning Together

Chapter 19: A New Beginning Together

"Lawrence when will we get there?" Holo asked from the back of the cart, pouting. She huffed as she stared up at the blue sky above, arms behind her head.

Lawrence growled in irritation at the fifth time she asked that, "Holo we will get there when we get there! And please put some clothes on! What if someone passes by!?"

Lawrence eyed Holo out of the corner of his eye, gazing at her naked form. Despite the fact he was trying to be sneaky about it, Holo caught him looking. He quickly turned away, red in face. Holo chuckled to herself as she got a big smirk on her face.

"It's mighty hot out today and I don't feel like having a heat stroke in those stupid robes."Holo replied, running her hands along her sweaty naked form, hoping Lawrence was still oggling her. She wasn't disappointed as she saw his face get even redder, "Besides, we are in the middle of nowwhere and haven't come across anyone for miles."

"Well, it's still a little risky don't you think?" Lawrence asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I don't know. Taking clothes off in this sweltering hear seems like a good idea. You yourself seem to be a little hot. I mean look at your face poor boy!" Holo replied, snickering a bit.

"We have barely started this journey and already you're teasing me."Lawrence said, sighing,

"Ah quit your whining. You know you like it." Holo retorted, blowing him a kiss. Lawrence wanted to look angry at her, but he couldn't stop a smile breaking through his frown. He turned his attention back on the road and cracked the reign a bit, making his horse go faster down the dirt path.

They had been on the road now for about four hours, Ruvinheign being left behind long ago. With only five bags worth of belongings in the cart and enough coin to buy their first wares in the next town, their lives had truly begun. Lawrence was hoping he would be able to buy a few bags of spices to start his traveling merchant business. Iit was the perfect season for spices and not to mention many towns would be having festivals soon and spices would be in high demand when it comes to the festival food.

They continued onward down the dirt road for another thirty minutes, Holo annoying Lawrence the whole town, when Lawrence spotted something ahead. Before he could fully see what was ahead, Holo jumped up behind him, leaning heavily on his back as she peered over his head and stare into the distance. Her tail was wagging back and forth furiously, like a dog that was about to get a treat.

"It's a farm up ahead!" Holo screamed in delight, her tongue sticking out from the corner of her mouth. Lawrence was beginning to think that perhaps she wasn't a wolf girl after all, but a dog.

"So? That just means you're putting your clothes back on. I don't want to even try to explain why there is a naked girl with animal ears and a tail in the back of my wagon." Lawrence said, grumbling a bit as he gently pushed her off of him.

"Well it would be worth it putting those horrible clothes back on. Don't you smell them?" Holo asked excitedly, sniffing the air.

"Smell what? The horse?" Lawrence said, sniffing the air and grimacing. He very much wished that he didn't have to be so close to the horse to steer the cart. Not to mention looking at a horse's ass the whole time didn't help matters.

"Not that, even though that scent is strong and truly vile." Holo answered, "It's another scent I have picked up. It's coming from the farm. It's apples!"

"Oh god..."Lawrence moaned, already feeling his coin purse lighten. Holo didn't even hear him, as she jumped up and down in the back of the cart. Lawrence was about to tell her he wasn't going to buy her any, but both of them knew that he would. So he decided to save his breath and he steered the horse towards the house ahead.

Thirty-three bought apples later, the pair loaded up the cart with their purchases and Lawrence patted his pockets, which were less heavy now. He frowned, knowing this now cut into his spice money. However, one look at the happy Holo, who was in the back cuddling all the apples, made him realize it was all worth it. With that they were once again off on their journey.

After awhile on the road, Lawrence shouted to Holo in the back of the wagon, "Hey Holo. Mind if I have one of those apples?"

"No fool!"Holo replied, her mouth full of apple, "Get your own!"

"I was the one who paid for those!"Lawrence growled, "and I'm hungry!"

"Well then, tis a shame to be you." Holo said, biting into another apple, after already having four.

"I hope you get a stomach ache."Lawrence grumbled to himself.

"I heard that!" Holo yelled at him.

The next few hours of travelling went by in silence, with Lawrence steering the cart and Holo in the back of it, eating her delicious apples to her heart's content. Finally, the sun was setting. It's orange glow descending on the horizon. It was too risky to travel at night, especially after hearing Jakob's tale of his night travel. He veered the horse under a tree next to the road and the two quickly set up camp. While Lawrence tended to a very exhausted horse, Holo set up the sleeping bags and started a fire.

Lawrence sighed as he sat down next to the fire. A whole day behind the reigns was more tiring than he thought it would be. His back ached and his bum felt even worse. He stretched, causing his back to pop loudly and making him sigh once more.

"You need to relax Lawrence and rest. After all, you worked soooo hard all day." Holo teased, giving him a fanged smirk.

"Oh yes compared to you Holo."Lawrence shot back, "Who just sat in the cart being a little piggie."

"You know what. I was going to give you an apple but after that comment you can just go hungry for all I care."Holo huffed, her cheeks puffed out.

"Oh yeah!? Well guess what! Apples aren't that great anyway!" Lawrence shouted playfully.

"You take that back!" Holo gasped.

Before Lawrence could react Holo had tackled him, causing him to fall onto his back and Holo sitting on top of him. Lawrence instantly wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. The two started laughing, with Holo playfully hitting him on the chest. Lawrence pulled her upper body down onto his chest, to stop the playful onslaught of her fists. Their faces were only a couple of inches apart, and the air surrounding them quickly changed. Tension filled the air around them and Lawrence could not only his body heat rise but also Holo's. As their eyes met Lawrence could feel himself getting nervous. Her crimson eyes were so deep and beautiful, with the moon shining off of them. In her eyes and face Lawrence saw wanting and the same nervousness that he had.

Their heads drew closer to one another and just like that their lips collided. As soon as his lips made contact with hers it felt like sparks were flying in his mind. The simple kiss was so intense and heated, Lawrence was worried for a second that his lips would melt off from the contact. However Holo seemed like she wasn't about to release Lawrence's lips from hers. In fact, she deepened the kiss, her tongue snaking out and running along the outside of his lips, begging for entrance. Lawrence opened his lips slightly and Holo's tongue forced it's way into his mouth, exploring the inside. Her tongue found his and he wrapped his own tongue around hers in a quick and twisted dance. Their breaths started to get more ragged and their face more red as the intense kissing went on. Finally the two broke apart, both in desperate need of air.

"Holo..maybe we should...stop."Lawrence said between inhales of air. He could feel himself hard, and from the position where Holo was sitting on top of him, she could probably tell as well.

"No fool."Holo said, her hands grabbing the bottom of her shirt and pulling it up and over her head, " We've been interrupted too many times before so I'll take this time to finally do what I have wanted to do with you for a long time."

As her breasts came into view Lawrence hissed, sucking air in at the sight. Sure he had seen her breasts multiple times but this time it was different. The tension in the air was serious, no longer Holo playfully teasing him. He did not resist as Holo raised him up a bit as she pulled his own shirt off. Lawrence was in total shock. He couldn't believe that this was finally happening. He prayed that nothing or no one would come along again and stop this moment.

As if in a trance, Lawrence's hands roamed her naked upper body. His hands slowly travelled along her belly, going higher and higher. Holo had her eyes closed, with her head leaned back. She was moaning softly, trying her best to stifle them by tenderly biting her bottom lip. Lawrence's hands finally came to the underside of her tits, which caused her to jump, as if the contact shocked her. He then fully grabbed her tits in each hand, squeezing and rubbing them. They felt amazing and apparently by Holo's reactions she was enjoying him touching her.

Instinct had completely taken him over as he raised up slightly and latched his lips to her nipple, sucking on the bud. Holo reared back and let out a moan that sounded very close to a howl. Her hands held Lawrence's head to her breasts, urging him to continue. He was happy to oblige, his tongue swirling around one nipple before sucking it into his mouth. He then moved on to the other nipple and proceeded to lick and suck it as well.

Lawrence's cock was rock hard by then, practically painful. His dick was pressing hard against the confines of his pants, begging for release. As if reading his mind, or well his dick, Holo's hands gently pushed him away from her breasts and rose up from his lap. For a second Lawrence thought Holo was backing out, but that proved untrue when she pushed down her own pants, becoming fully naked.

"Holo are you sure about this?" Lawrence asked as he got to his feet and began pulling down his own trousers.

"I have never been more sure of anything in my life." Holo answered seductively and in a whisper.

With both of them fully naked and the mood just right, they were finally going to make love. Holo laid back on the ground, her back on the cold dirt. She spread her legs and beckoned to Lawrence, like an irresistable siren calling a sailor. Lawrence came to her happily, lying gently on top of her. Her legs wrapped around his lower back and her arms around his neck. They resumed kissing each other passionately as Lawrence's cock prodded Holo's entrance. They broke their kissing once again as Holo felt him.

"Holo are you-" Lawrence was about to ask again, but was cut off by Holo.

"Yes Lawrence I am. Make love to me please. Please make me yours." Holo replied, licking his cheek sweetly.

"It might hurt you know." Lawrence said. He was worried that he would hurt her and while he hoped that they wouldn't stop, he didn't want to be the cause of her pain.

"I know Lawrence. Don't worry fool I'm a big girl. Now take me." Holo whispered into his ear, and that was all it took.

Slowly, Lawrence pushed himself into her. Holo gritted her teeth but did her best not to voice her pain. She knew Lawrence didn't want to stop and neither did she. Holo buried her face in the crook of his shoulder as he pushed more and more of his penis inside her. She let out a muffled scream as Lawrence tore through her hymen, which caused Lawrence to stop.

"Holo are you okay!? If this is too much for you we can-" Lawrence asked, panicking a bit."

"No it's ok Lawrence." Holo interjected, "Just-just give me a second ok?"

Lawrence nodded as he didn't move, waiting for Holo to get use to him inside her. He placed kisses along her cheeks and wrapped his arms around her back, hugging her tightly and comfortingly. Two minutes passed by before Holo finally nodded to him to continue. Lawrence pulled out of her before slowly pushing himself back in again. Holo was still wincing but she wasn't in as much pain as she was. He started thrusting in and out of her, making the pain Holo was feeling turn into pleasure. She started moaning into Lawrence's shoulder. Her legs pulled Lawrence into her more, wanting him to go deeper.

"Please Lawrence. Go faster!" Holo pleaded, almost desperately. Lawrence grunted as he increased his thrusts into her.

Lawrence couldn't believe how amazing this felt. He kissed her lips hungerly as he pumped into her deeper and harder. Holo's moans got louder and louder and finally she pulled away from Lawrence's kiss and screamed out in pleasure.

"Lawrence! Lawrence I love you so much!" Holo screamed between pants.

"Holo I love you too! More than anything in the world!"Lawrence replied through gritted teeth.

Throughout their lovemaking, Lawrence had tried his best and hold back from going all out. However, he couldn't hold out any longer and gave in to the passion. He started pounding into her with all the strength he could muster. Holo clung to him as she was rocked back and forth violently, trying her best not to scream out in unbridled pleasure. She bite down into Lawrence's shoulder, a little hard, to stop her screams. Lawrence hissed in pain at feeling her fangs sink into his skin, but strangely, it aroused him even more. So much so in fact that he was about to be sent over the edge.

"Holo I'm about to cum!"Lawrence groaned, his thrusts getting more frantic.

"Me too. Cum inside me!"Holo replied, panting like an animal in heat.

"But you could get pregnant!"Lawrence yelled, trying to pull out, only to have Holo wrap her legs behind him tighter and pulling him more into her.

"Don't you dare pull out of me!"Holo snapped and Lawrence just nodded. His willpower to fight her on this melting away as he came hard inside her. Feeling him release inside her caused Holo to orgasm as well. She raised her head high and howled into the night like the wolf she was as she climaxed.

Lawrence collasped on top of her, breathing heavily. Holo held Lawrence's head, petting the back of his head and kissing the top of his head. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes before Lawrence finally rolled off of her and laid down beside her.

"Why on earth did you not let me pull out Holo!?"Lawrence scolded.

"Because...would it be so bad if we had children?"Holo answered, almost in a whisper. As if she didn't really want him to hear it, for fear of what he might say.

Lawrence was too shocked to reply to that. He didn't really even have an answer to her question. The thought of kids never even crossed his mind. He had other things to worry about, like trying to make a living and what's more, protecting Holo from the Church. He sat there for awhile, pondering their predicament and how children would either help or harm growled in irratation and got up, grabbing her discarded clothes and moving to the other side of the campfire.

"Holo I-"Lawrence started but was again cut off by Holo.

"Forget it idiot!" Holo yelled and climbed into her sleeping bag, her back to him.

Deciding it was not the right time to continue this, he put back on his undergarments and trousers. He climbed into his own bag and sighed inwardly. A beautiful moment was now ruined, and Lawrence knew he was at fault for it. A couple of minutes passed when he finally heard Holo's loud snoring. Lawrence turned away from her sleeping form and tried himself to get some shut eye. For the first time in months, Lawrence slept alone.


	20. Chapter 20:Kumersun

Chapter 20: Kumersun

The following day was the most silent, and yet most intense day of Lawrence's life. Holo had not even looked in his direction all day, much less spoke to him. The events of last night, while bringing a blush to his cheeks, also brought about a feeling of shame inside him. Not because he regretted that they had made love, but because of how he had reacted when Holo had brought up the whole children thing.

Lawrence knew he handled that delicate matter poorly, although he wasn't sure if it could have been helped anyway. The direction the night had taken had completely surprised him, and when she brought up the idea of her getting pregnant, it had taken him off guard. He had no real answer at the time for Holo's question, and even now he had to admit to himself that he still wasn't sure.

They had just escaped Ruvinheign after all, and were on the run from the Church. If they were caught they most certainly would be put to death. The thought of their kids, while indeed bringing a smile to his face at the prospect of having some, also brought a sense of dread to his being. Children would complicate things heavily. Not only would Lawrence have to support himself and Holo, which his business as a traveling merchant had just begun, he would have to support and also protect a child or children. Lawrence just wasn't sure if he was ready for that kind of responsibility or even if it was a right thing to do. Was it really fair to bring a child into this world where they would always have to be on the run, or else be burned at the stake for being monsters?

Lawrence let another few minutes pass by in silence before he couldn't take it anymore, "Holo look...I'm sorry."

He looked at her from the corner of his eye and noticed she didn't even seem to register his apology. She didn't even so much as glance his way, although he saw that her brow creased at his statement. He waited for her reply, but it never came. He sighed to himself and turned his eyes back to the road, seeing in the distance buildings. They had finally arrived at the town called Kumersun.

"We have arrived Holo."Lawrence said, even though he knew she wouldn't reply to him, "This will be an excellent place to start our traveling merchant business."

Kumersun wasn't as big of a city as Ruvinheign, in fact calling it a city was a compliment. It was actually a small town, but in some ways it was better than Ruvinheign. For example, this town was always a host to many traveling merchants. Wares from all around the world came through Kumersun, so trade was a big attraction to travelers. However that was not the only reason people from all over flocked to Kumersun, in fact, Lawrence would have to say that it wasn't even the main reason.

The main tourist attraction for Kumerson was that the Church's influence had not infested Kumersun, at least not yet. Everyone knows that the Church had been trying for months now to set up there and slowly take over the town. Lucky for Kumerson's citizens, their leaders have been able to stave off the Church's advances for now. Kumerson was actually what the Church calls a pagan town. Many of the people there did indeed worship old gods and much to the Church's chagrin, not their god.

So what brought travelers to Kumerson was that the Church had not yet gotten their claws into this town, and from what Lawrence knew about the region around Ruvinheign and its neighboring cities and villages, that was becoming a rare thing. Merchants from all over flocked to Kumersun due to, unlike Ruvinheign when it was still under the Church's boot, there was no entry tax. Entry tax was a tax enforced by the Church for traveling merchants who wanted to sell their wares in a city controlled by them, and since Kumersun was free from the Church, their was no entry tax for traveling merchants.

As Lawrence steered his horse-driven cart into the town he noticed that the place seemed livelier than what he expected. Citizens and tourists crowded the streets, so much so that Lawrence was barely making any progress getting his wagon deeper into the town. What was even stranger was that a lot of the people around him were dressed in odd costumes and suits. As his wagon slowly made its way down the main street of Kumerson, Lawrence gazed around at the many buildings and merchant stalls. Decorations and lights hung everywhere and jugglers, musicians, and dozens of entertainers were at every corner of the city. Lawrence thought for awhile and the answer finally came to him. Kumersun was having a festival, and by the looks of it a pagan one at that, as if to further anger the Church. It seemed that Lawrence was right about the angering the Church part, because he was able to catch bits and pieces of passerby's conversations.

Apparently this festival was an annual tradition for Kumersun. It brought in nearly 75% of Kumersun's revenue. Apparently during a time of religious oppression, Kumersun was a savior with their festival. People from all over came to celebrate, relax, and let loose, free from the eyes of those who would deem such acts sinful. From what Lawrence could gather, Kumersun has more tourists than usual. It seemed that Ruvinheign's uprising and the Church's defeat there had already spread far and wide. Ruvinheign's revolt seemed to spark courage in many of the people who heard of its exploits. So in their own way, people congregated to Kumersun in retaliation to the Church. Lawrence guessed that this infuriated the Church to no end.

As his gaze roamed around the street, his eyes landed on Holo, who was standing up in the wagon and looking around Kumersun excitedly. Her eyes were wide and her mouth gaping as she stared at the decorations and bright lights of the festival. He also noticed that her mouth was watering, as the many smells from food vendor stalls invaded her senses. Upon sniffing the air, Lawrence too was drooling at the mouth. His stomach growled as he just realized he hadn't eaten in hours.

"You know Holo I've heard festival food is quite delicious." Lawrence stated, flashing a smile at her, one that she did not even see, "If you wish I can buy you some. I've even heard they make caramel apples."

At that statement Holo's eyes grew wide and see turned to Lawrence excitedly. She opened her mouth to reply to him, but caught herself before she did. She was giving Lawrence the cold shoulder after all, and his craftiness at mentioning festival apples almost got her to give him what he wanted. She frowned at him and tried her best to hide her excitement, holding out her hand for coin to buy the treats herself. Lawrence sighed in defeat. This was childish on Holo's part but if he mentioned that it was sure to dig his hole deeper with her. He simply pulled out his coin purse and gave her a few of them to buy as many as she wanted. Holo simply nodded to him as she leaped out of the wagon and into the crowd.

"I'm heading to the nearest inn!"Lawrence shouted at the descending form of Holo, "Please meet me there once you're done stuffing yourself with my money!"

His mood had officially soured. Not only was Holo refusing to talk to him, she was using his money to waste on festival junk food! He was able to get through the large crowd ten minutes later and arrived at the inn. Luckily for him they had one room left, but unfortunately for both Holo and him, the room had one bed. In the past this wouldn't have been a problem, for they slept in the same bed every night, whether Lawrence wanted to or not. However lately, with things between him and Holo so tense, he knew this might be a problem. He also knew Holo would be getting the bed and he would be getting the floor. Already Lawrence could feel the ache from his back pain at sleeping on the hardwood floor.

He spent the next couple of minutes bring in their luggage into their room, which was up two flights of stairs. By the time he had got everything into their room he was exhausted. He didn't realize how out of shape he was. Then again, most merchants weren't huge muscular men. Actually, Lawrence was probably what most merchants looked liked, at least strength-wise. He walked over to the room's one window and gazed outside to the streets below.

The crowd was endless and he could barely spot the ground among all of them. His stomach rumbled again and he hoped Holo would be gracious enough to at least bring him back something. He scanned the crowd, hoping to see his companion heading her way to the inn, it had been over fifteen minutes since they had parted ways. She should be coming back soon.

Lawrence was right as he finally spotted Holo in the vast sea of people, heading towards the inn. However, Lawrence's eyes grew wide in freight as he raced down the steps to meet her for two reasons. One was because she had a boy around their age, walking side-by-side with her. Another was because she had her hood down, revealing to all her wolf ears!


End file.
